Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Beyond the Sky
by Traveling Trainer
Summary: Four years after the Temporal and Spacial Crises, an old loose end finally reveals itself. The heroes of time and darkness act, visiting places old and new and bringing along new friends of their own. All the while, a traveler without a past begins to rediscover something lost to him long ago. What adventures will an exploration team get into this time?
1. Mail! No News or Good News?

"Mint, how far away is this place again?"

The sun beat down mercilessly on the two little hedgehogs, the unusually-hot day blazing across the valley. The grass was dry and beginning to look brown, and even the branches of the trees drooped from exhaustion, their only movement coming from the force of a rare gust of wind. Even the tops of the peak, capped with the last dusting of winter's snow, were beginning to lose their luster. A flock of Spearow flew across the field, catching an updraft and soaring away, crowing merrily as they took to the skies. With an exasperated sigh, the leading Shaymin turned around, doing nothing to hide the bags under her eyes. Her long white ears wiggled.

"In case you hadn't been looking, Fern," Mint gestured backwards with her head, wincing as the rough basket hanging from her neck dug lightly into her fur. "We've just arrived at the flower patch. Please. Stop. Asking."

"Sorry..." Fern stared down, finding his nose particularly interesting. "We're just so far from the village, and-"

Mint trotted over and placed a paw on Fern's mouth, muffling the rest of his words. "It's our turn for gathering duty, alright? Just put one foot in front of the other and we'll both be back a lot faster."

"Alright..." Fern hesitantly nodded, and the two quietly made their way into the middle of the field. A veritable sea of Gracideas bloomed vibrantly, the smell of fresh pollen and fragrant flora hanging in the air, and the two Shaymin breathed deeply, digging into the dirt and uprooting the flowers. The soft loam came free without much struggle, and slowly but surely the basket began to fill up with a modest bouquet. It wasn't until a few hours later when the pair finally stopped to count their haul, resting underneath a large tree, surrounded by rocks.

"Thirty-three, thirty-four..." The Gracideas rustled as Mint poked at each one. "Thirty-five. I think that's a good amount for now."

"Are you sure?" Fern circled around the basket before peering timidly out at the horizon. "The last time someone went out for gathering duty, we ran out of Gracideas the next day-"

"Don't you think I've prepared for that?" Mint grunted irritably, shaking her head. "We've got way more than before, we're fine."

"If you say so..." Fern yawned loudly, leaning backwards against a large, dark gray lump. "Who knew that picking flowers could be so tiring? I feel like I just want to... doze..."

"Hey, don't go napping on me now, we've got to get back-" Mint called, leaving the basket of flowers alone. The warning was to no avail, though, and Fern's head hung loosely as he nodded off, a soft snore leaving his lips. Mint frowned. "Hey! Did you hear me, you dimwit! Wake up!"

Mint charged, crashing into her partner with a mighty shove. Fern yelped in surprise as he tumbled up and over his perch, opening his eyes to find his vision completely dark. Something surrounded him, something soft and... fabric-y?

"Hey, Mint, what's the big idea?" Fern said, struggling to find an opening in the cloth. A small hole caught his eye, and he poked his head out, glancing at the fancy, star-patterned robe he now adorned. "Wait, what is this? Mint?"

He turned to face his friend, who gaped at him, her expression a mixture of shock and fear. A chill went down his spine. "M-Mint? What's with the look?"

She replied with an indecipherable sputter before turning around and bolting away, knocking over the basket of Gracideas as she took to the sky. Fern leapt forward instinctively, only to flop over into a messy tangle of limbs and clothing. He regained his bearings faster than before, though, and he sighed unhappily as he stared at the pile of flowers, already beginning to drift away on the breeze. "Aw, Mint, why'd you leave me to clean up the mess alone..."

"Ah... excuse me, I believe this is mine."

Fern froze as he felt something grasp at his back, pulling the robe off of him. Time seemed to stand still as he inched himself around to look at the newcomer. The Gracideas lay forgotten.

A pair of icy blue eyes stared at him questioningly. His mind went blank, and he tried to speak, the words catching in his throat.

"Well? You can talk, can't you?"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

* * *

**Mail! No News... or Good News?**

* * *

"Bill! Come on!"

I groggily opened my eyes, scrunching them shut moments after as the harsh sunlight cut through the jagged teeth of the bluff. Rough waves crashed up against the side of the cliff, the smell of salt wafting in on the breeze, and I could hear a fire crackling close by. Rolling onto my back, I stuffed my face into the pile of loose hay, grinning inwardly as Rose padded up to me, the telltale sound of paws against stone signifying her arrival. A fuzzy appendage poked at my shoulder tentatively before the rest of the body decided to slam hard onto me, and I yelped in surprise. "Okay! I'm up, I'm up!"

"Good morning, sleepyhead!" Rose chuckled, stepping off me as I sat up, wearily rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Quickly adjusting to the morning light, I got to my feet, brushing an aura tassel out from in front of my shoulder. "If you'd slept in any more, your breakfast would have gotten cold!"

"Breakfast?" In hindsight, the comment was somewhat rhetorical - I blame the rude awakening. Rose slowly ambled away, biting onto a thin stick and jabbing at the fire, gently navigating the tool through the legs of the cooking grate. The logs shifted, crackling as they turned to charcoal, sending small ashes into the air, a couple of them sticking to the bottom of a cooking pan. "Cyan left me to cook while he and Erin went to check for jobs at the guild, so don't expect anything spectacular."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," I replied. Rose shot me a grateful smile, dropping her makeshift poker as I drew to her side, peering at the food. The pile of apple slices seemed slightly charred and a couple of them were beginning to look like slush. The fragrance of boiling juice mingled unpleasantly with the sea smell, and I grinned cheekily as I quickly threw out an addendum. "I mean, it could be me doing the cooking."

"Now who's being hard on themselves?" Rose rolled her eyes, grasping the pot's handle and setting it down on the stone floor. As soon as the metal had cooled I reached down and plucked a pawful of the food and hungrily crunched into it, ignoring the quiet giggle of amusement I received from my partner in the process. Rose delicately served herself a portion of the fruit, nibbling at it every so often, her nine tails drifting up and down absently.

"...Wait, back up a sec," I said, mouth still half-full. "Cyan and Erin went to check the job postings?"

"Uh-huh," Rose nodded her reply, fidgeting a bit as she worked out the stiffness in her joints. Her fur tickled my legs, and I resisted the urge to scratch. "What about it?"

I frowned briefly, closing my eyes in deep thought (though I'm sure the image was ruined by my bulging cheeks). "But Wigglytuff dragged the guild off on the expedition to Midnight Forest, remember? The guild's been locked up and unattended for a few days now."

Rose's eyes widened, and she rubbed at her face in an attempt to hide the blush of embarrassment forming under her fur. "Oh, shoot."

I barked out a hearty laugh - and immediately regretted it as I briefly choked. Rose was at my back in moments, drumming her paws hard down my spine, and with no small amount of effort I gulped down the food. The two of us breathed hard, shaken but none the worse for wear.

"Blaugh," I managed to say, half-grinning at my own foolishness. Rose gave me a worried look. "I never thought you'd quite have my back so literally."

"Are you sure you're okay?" She asked, and I smiled, wrapping an arm around the fox's side and pulling her close, eliciting a surprised yelp. Undeterred, Rose nuzzled cutely into my shoulder, her nose cold against my chest, and we snuggled together as our gazes drifted past the teeth of the bluff, out towards the sparkling sea. "What about Cyan and Erin? Shouldn't we be going and getting them?"

"Probably," I answered, squeezing her a little bit tighter. "Before Cyan decides to turn himself into a battering ram."

I chuckled, and Rose sharply turned her head to look at me. "You don't seriously think he'd try that again, do you?"

A peal of loud, boyish laughter, along with the sound of wood scraping against stone, broke our concentration, and we glanced over at the steps leading outside. A soft pink blur sped past the dying fire and pounced, belly-first, onto the pile of hay I had recently occupied, wriggling energetically as her fuzzy sleeves and thin tail flailed about. Behind her, a large blue sea lion stomped into the room, his large hiking pack grazing the sides of the stairway.

"Man, you two're never gonna lemme live that down, are ya?" Cyan asked grumpily, unceremoniously dumping his bag onto the ground and taking a seat opposite Rose and I. Spearing a couple fruits with the horn on his helmet, he slouched forward, mustache drooping low, as if it shared its owner's lack of enthusiasm. "I swear, that made me swear off of sentry duty for life."

"You can't say you didn't work hard at it," I pointed out, memories of shattered iron and wrong calls filling my head. "I think Diglett, at least, appreciated it."

The Mienshao suddenly hopped up, flinging a bit of grass into Rose's headfur. I chuckled as the fox grimaced. "And now the gate's way stronger than it was before, Cyan! Everything turned out okay in the end!"

"Easy for you t'say, Erin," Cyan folded his arms, gripping the handles of his seamitars tight. "You didn't get yelled at by a bundle'a feathers and a guy with a mouth too loud for his own good."

"Aww, c'mon!" Erin bounced over to her friend, hefting off his helmet and gingerly rubbing at his stubby ears. Cyan's unhappy look briefly turned goofy, and he didn't seem to notice the slender weasel munching cheerfully on his food. "They mean well, you know that."

"You know, you could do much worse to have to deal with Chatot and Loudred for a few days," Rose chimed in calmly, her head nestled comfortably on my chestspike. I busied myself with pulling the straws of hay and other bits out of her fur. "I'm pretty sure that breaking and entering is a felony."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it," Cyan waved Erin away from his food, the Mienshao chuckling lightly at the Samurott's expense, and he began to chomp down greedily into his breakfast. The three of us watched as the water type practically inhaled the rest of the meal, and once he was finished he haphazardly spat a blast of water into the flames, dousing them completely before he continued speaking. "Sentry duty's still a heckuva lot less interestin' than going on a job with the rest'ya."

"Speaking of which," I smoothly switched gears, softly nudging Rose off of my lap before standing up, striding over to the babbling spring and picking up the strap of the treasure bag. Our Exploration Team badge gleamed in the light, the black metal and blue inset clinging loosely to the bag's side. "Since the guild's closed up for their expedition, we're pretty much free for as long as they're gone-"

"Wait, expedition?" Erin blurted out, bouncing over and leaning at me in a gross violation of any and all definitions of personal space. I stumbled backwards and pressed myself up against the wall, resisting the combat instinct to send the poor girl flying. That would certainly be bad. "I thought everyone was just sleeping in today!"

"Nuh..." I stuttered, taken aback at the ridiculous claim. Only Erin would come to a conclusion like that. "No, Erin, this is the year they're going on an expedition. Last year Corphish graduated from the guild. You were part of the team by then, remember?"

"Oh..." Erin began to rock back and forth on her heels, looking... somewhat lost in thought. "I guess you're right, I do remember that."

"So since they're gone, we can do just about whatever we want to do for the next week or so," Rose picked up where I had left off, sticking her nose into the bag and drawing out a light blue scarf. I knelt down and began to tie it around her neck, to which she smiled gratefully. "Do you two have any ideas?"

Cyan let out a low hum, stroking his mustache thoughtfully. "How 'bout the Fogbound Lake? You've been meanin' t'take us there."

"I don't know, I don't think we should head too far out," I reminded him, and he sighed unhappily. I lightly bopped his arm, giving him a reassuring smile, and he looked at me out of the corner of his eyes. "We'll go there someday, don't worry."

"What about spending the day at Serenity River?" Erin tossed out. "I bet today a water day would be really nice!"

"We're supposed to be working, not playing, Erin," Rose replied before throwing a wink my way. "Though I wouldn't mind spending some time there myself."

I grinned, slipping the treasure bag onto my back. "I guess that's settled, then?"

All four of us perked up as a soft, almost-inaudible sound drifted into our ears from above. Fluttering wings masked a meek knocking at the trapdoor into the bluff, and Erin peeked her head into the tunnel, gently lifting up the hatch. She smiled, her eyes lighting up as she pushed the door fully open.

"Hi there, Marill!" The Mienshao moved backwards into the room, and down the steps came a little blue mouse, yawning into one of his stubby paws as he descended. A bouncy ball sat in between his round ears, attached to him by a thin black tail. As Erin let the entrance close, another, white-plumed Pokemon swooped through the toothy gap in the cliff, the deep-billed bird hovering close to the floor, his blue-tipped wings nearly touching down.

"Good morning, Team Returners," Marill greeted us cheerfully, seating himself next to Erin, who began to affectionately toy with the boy's ears. "I'm glad we were able to catch you in time!"

I chuckled, rolling my eyes. "I can see this going somewhere."

"What's goin' on, kiddo?" Cyan asked, going straight to the point. "And where's your little bro today? You two are always stuck together."

"Er... that's why I'm here, actually, mister Cyan."

"Oh no," Rose said, cocking her head in confusion. "Azurill didn't get himself grabbed again, did he?"

"It's nothing like that, ma'am," The Pelipper spoke up, finally perching atop a soft flower patch growing through the cracks in the stone. "Though I do hope you give him a firm scolding when you find him!"

"Scolding?" I frowned, folding my arms. "Slow down there and tell us what the deal is."

"Don't worry, mister Pelipper," Marill thankfully cut in, and he turned to Rose and I. "Er... I guess I'll start earlier this morning."

"Alright."

"Well, Azurill and I were just leaving the house to pick up breakfast for mama..." Marill began. "She hasn't gotten sick, but we've just stuck to the habit."

"Can't stop, won't stop, huh?" Erin remarked with a giggle as she walked over to the spring and picked up a small pouch. "You two are so sweet."

"Er, yeah... anyway, we were on the way back from Kecleon Market when we saw mister Pelipper at our mailbox!"

"I had some deliveries to make here in town, you see," Pelipper added, picking idly at some of the grass growing on the floor. "Along with my bag of mail, I had a package for missus Kangaskhan, and a shipment of berries for Spinda."

"Anything for us in there?" Cyan asked.

"Yes, actually," Pelipper spoke his confirmation, and I crossed my legs, tapping my toes impatiently. "But it'll have to wait. Mister Marill?"

"Anyway..." Marill nodded at his companion before continuing. "Azurill and I stopped to talk to mister Pelipper while he was delivering the mail. We had been chatting for a few minutes when... well..."

Marill trailed off hesitantly, his tail nervously swinging from side to side, and Rose smiled warmly. "Well?"

"Azurill..." Marill let out a sigh of frustration. "He... he just grabbed mister Pelipper's mail bag and ran off!"

I heard Rose gasp lightly, and both Cyan and Erin recoiled in surprise, the latter nearly dropping her bag. "He what?!"

"I don't know why!" Marill backpedaled, waving his paws around in a panic. "He's been acting strangely lately... he's been constantly nagging me about the mail the past few days and avoiding answering when I ask him why."

"Where'd he run off to?" Rose spoke soothingly, calming the mouse's nerves. Pelipper floated a little bit higher, clearing his throat to get our attention.

"When the boy ran off, sir Marill and I chased him to the crossroads and onto the beach," The mail-bird explained. "We had him cornered at the entrance to the Beach Cave, but he ended up running inside."

"I had wanted to go after him myself, but I didn't want to worry mister Pelipper or mama, and you had helped us before, so I was hoping that you would-" Marill stopped speaking as Erin patted him playfully on his head.

"It's good that you came to us instead of rushing in on your own," I said, adjusting the straps of the treasure bag. "We'll gladly help you out, Marill."

"What's that kid thinkin', swipin' stuff and runnin' off like that?" Cyan murmured, looking over one of his seamitars for defects, and with a flourish he slid the blade back into its scabbard on his arm. Slinging his hiking bag onto his back, he gave Marill a confident nod. "Don't worry, we'll find your little brother."

"I'm up for it," Rose agreed, winking at me. "Besides, he's got mail that's meant for us, right?"

"Alright then," I turned to Pelipper. "Marill, Pelipper... we'll be right back!"

* * *

I knelt down, running my paw down the cavern floor, brushing away shells and clumps of seaweed to reveal the smooth stone hidden underneath. My eyes narrowed as the trail of tiny footprints, stained by wet sand, faded into nothingness, headed nowhere but deeper into the salt-smelling, dark passage, lit only by the occasional strand of sunlight sneaking in through holes above us. Distantly I could hear the crashing of rough waves into the shore.

"Yep, he's definitely been this way," I remarked dryly, dusting my legs off and continuing to stride forward. Cyan and Rose trotted their way through the sand, while Erin obliviously sat atop Cyan's backpack, tying one of her sleeves together into her makeshift sling. "We're going in blind from here, though."

"Uh oh," Rose said, running up to my side and sniffing at the trail, trying to pick up the boy's scent. "I can't tell where he's gone from here, either. The sea's too strong here."

I reached over and playfully flicked her ear, a tough task indeed given that we were all moving. "I guess it's not too big of a deal. Only two ways to go from here, and we just came from one of them."

"At least'e didn't run off somewhere further away," Cyan shook himself suddenly, sending Erin to the floor. As she picked herself up, she stuck out her tongue at him, pouting. "The Beach Cave's pretty tame."

Endless blue-gray walls twisted and turned, finally giving way to a large room, water flooding in through a large gap in the corner, the shallow, muddy lake glimmering as the sunlight bounced off of its surface. I slowed my pace, holding out an arm and grunting as the other three crashed into it, nearly sending all of us into a pile. I looked at Cyan - or his mustache, at least - out of the corner of my eye. "Tame or not, you had better hush up, and quickly!"

"What? What's wrong?"

Rose peeked her head out from under my elbow and nervously sucked in a deep breath. "Sleepers."

Cyan and Erin both lifted their heads over my arm, staring at the sight. A large clan of smooth brown stones chittered softly underwater, emitting tiny bubbles with every muffled snore. The Mienshao let out a coo of curiosity.

"Woah... I've never seen so many Kabuto in one spot before!" She attempted to break through the blockade and see the wild Pokemon up close, but I held firm, straining against the force. Rose noticed and helped, sneaking under my arm and tiptoeing through the water. Cyan glanced at me, then at Erin, and gave me a toothy smirk. Covering up Erin's mouth, he hoisted her up above his head. Amidst her muffled protests, he began to shamble across the room, gentle waves rocking against the sides of the cavern.

"Alright..." I breathed in, gently stepping out into the room, doing my best to wade as quietly as possible. Erin continued to yelp under Cyan's grip, and I frowned deeply. "Erin, shh!"

"Mmmph! Mmph mm!"

I froze as the Kabuto suddenly shifted, a couple of them rising up out of the sand. They idly tapped their claws against the floor, turning around to find the source of the waving water. I didn't move a single muscle, my chest starting to hurt as I continued to hold my breath. The Kabuto's beady black eyes watched me, unblinking.

Erin let out another grunt, kicking Cyan hard in his side, and as he grunted in pain, his grip slackened. Freeing herself, she ran past him, calling out to me as she drew a pebble from her pouch. "Bill! Above you!"

As Rose and Cyan swiveled around, my gaze shot up, a feeling of dread forming in the pit of my stomach. A sleek, brown-shelled body looked back at me, six menacing spikes protruding outward from the Pokemon's spine. Its twin sickles dug deep into the roof. "I should have seen that coming."

As I rushed for the safe passage, the Kabuto began to hiss irritably, rousing each other from their slumber. With a hop, skip and jump, Erin let the stone fly from her sling, waving her arms as she nearly lost her balance. The projectile bounced harmlessly off of the tip of the Kabutops' blade, and the shellfish dislodged from the ceiling, touching down with a mighty splash. I exhaled, sharpening my mind as shimmering white claws sprouted from my pawspikes, and my opponent faltered, shifting his attention from me to Rose, to Cyan and Erin, and back again.

"Four against one," I smiled confidently, and Rose stepped up next to me, embers slipping through her clenched teeth. "You sure you want to do this?"

Without warning, the Kabutops let loose an ear-piercing screech, whipping its children into a frenzy as the cave began to shake. Dashing forward and swinging at me, I barely had time to duck, the sickle just grazing the tips of my ears. I peeked up; it had thunked into Cyan's seamitar. Lashing out, I slashed hard into the armored shell of the wild Pokemon, the metal claws leaving a nasty gash. I slipped out from under the yellow blade, running over to Rose, and another pebble bounced off of our enemy's head.

"I really don't think that's helpin', Erin!" Cyan pulled hard with his stuck sword and landed a vertical blow with the other, sending the Kabutops stumbling backwards a few steps. One of the Kabuto skittered out of the pool and pounced, grabbing onto Cyan's arm and biting down. He let out a groan of pain, dropping both of his seamitars and glaring at the little Pokemon. "Try keepin' the little guys offa me instead!"

"Got it," Erin called, and as another one of the Kabuto leapt for the Samurott she sent a third pebble flying. The smooth stone crashed neatly into its underbelly, knocking it out instantly as it clacked onto the floor. Slamming the first one into the floor, Cyan growled, butting forward with his helmet to deflect another blow from the Kabutops. I knelt low and watched as Rose opened her mouth, a swirling green ball of energy forming in front of her jaws, and I closed my eyes, focusing my aura into a small sphere that I held in one paw.

"Incoming!" I yelled out, and the Samurott looked over, whacking his horn into the Kabutops' neck. He had little time to notice our attack as he was knocked over by a trio of leaping Kabuto, and Rose and I seized the opening, the energy ball and aura sphere orbiting each other as they collided with the large shellfish's midsection, sending him careening into the wall. He slid down the rock and crumpled into a heap on the floor, completely unconscious.

"Get 'em off me, get 'em off!" Cyan writhed around on the stone floor as more and more of the Kabuto hopped onto him, nibbling angrily as they defended their turf. Erin, Rose and I all ran up to him, yanking off the brown-shelled children and throwing them into their little pool. "Agh, just gettem off!"

"Hold still, you goofy guts," Erin chided playfully, tickling the last Kabuto's underside before she put him down. I knelt down, running my paw over some of Cyan's wounds, the small teeth marks having punctured in a couple places, the trickles of blood already dried. I shook my head, cracking a grin.

"I think you're going to be just fine, Cyan," I remarked dryly, rolling my eyes as Erin pulled out a small roll of bandages from her pouch. Pushing her loose sleeve out of the way, she hummed a tune as she set to work, wrapping up the bites, and I turned to glance at Rose, catching her attention with a wave of my arm. "Mind scouting ahead for a bit? I'd rather not deal with any more interruptions."

"I'll be right back," Rose nodded with a smile, bounding down the corridor and out of sight. Satisfied, I looked back to Cyan, leaning against Erin as she pushed him onto his feet, and I picked up his seamitars, handing them to him. He grunted grumpily as he looked at the cut one of the blades had taken, running a finger across the line.

"Sheesh..." He sheathed the weapons and threw his paws up in exasperation. "I thought this thing'd last longer than that."

"The last thing to worry about in combat is a fancy weapon," I pointed out, folding my arms, and the Samurott shrugged, adjusting the straps of his hiking bag. Erin tightened the strings of her belt pouch, a spring in her step as she rocked back and forth on her heels.

"I guess that's why my sling's always been in top shape!" She giggled, giving her throwing arm a few more spins before resting.

"Bill!" Rose's voice echoed through the hall, catching our attention, and the nine-tailed fox skidded to a halt as she returned to sight. "I think I found Azurill!"

I pumped my fist, walking over to her. "Then let's go!"

The four of us followed Rose down the pathway, passing through a couple, safely-empty rooms, before finding ourselves at a dead end, a small and seemingly-insignificant chamber topping the hallway off. I sneaked a glimpse from a good distance away, spying a blue blob digging through a bag, envelopes scattered all around the sand. Fortunately, the cave had no water, a fact I attributed to luck.

"No... no..." Azurill muttered to himself, flinging papers every which way. "Not this one either... where could it be?"

"What's he doing, what's he doing?" Erin inquired. I didn't need to look to know that Cyan, Erin, and Rose had all followed my lead and peeked into the room.

"He's making a mess, that's what he's doing," I answered flatly, and Rose laughed softly.

"Well, c'mon!" Cyan said, boredom ringing in his voice. "Let's go get him and bring him back."

"Alright, alright, cool your jets," I replied, and I lead the team into the room, the sound of our footsteps shaking the young boy out of his work. "Azurill?"

"Huh?" He lifted himself out of the bag, a couple more bits of mail spilling off of his head, and turned around, flinching in surprise when he saw us. "T-Team Returners!"

"Heya, kiddo," Cyan stomped around me, gruffly staring Azurill down. The boy quaked timidly under his elder's watchful gaze. "What're you up to today?"

"I'm... um..." His eyes flicked from wall to wall, trying hard to make himself look as small as possible. "Um..."

"Cyan, don't scare him," Rose clicked her tongue, pushing past the both of us and stooping low, giving Azurill a tender, disarming smile. I walked over to some of the envelopes, leaning down to gather them up. "Azurill, why did you steal Pelipper's mail bag?"

"Hmph..." Azurill screwed up his face, debating his choices. "I... I'm waiting for a reply, that's all."

I lightly poked at Cyan's side, roping him into gathering up the letters as Rose continued to coax out information. Erin stepped up next to Rose, keeping silent. "A reply from who? Marill said you've been anticipating the mail recently."

"My brother?" Azurill's voice grew even more nervous. "Oh... well, I was with Marill one day in town, and I overheard an explorer talking about how they'd found a letter in a bottle on the beach. So maybe a few days ago, I-"

I exhaled quietly, the pieces beginning to fall into place, and Cyan paused in his work to interrupt. "Y'sent a bottled letter out t'sea and expected a reply in the mail?"

"Yes... is something wrong?" Azurill asked innocently, bouncing on his large tail. Erin struggled to contain a giggle.

"Of course there's somethin' wrong, kiddo," Cyan bluntly stated, and I winced, incredulously, as I kept filling the mailbag up. "Pelipper doesn't deliver replies to letters in bottles. Heck, the bottle might not have even made it to land yet."

"Oh!" Azurill cocked his head in confusion, thrown for a loop. "Oh..."

"I mean, it might not even get t'land at all," The Samurott obliviously continued, drumming his fingers against the sand. "The seas're always rough and bottles're fragile, and-"

"Cyan!" Rose yelled, giving the teen a scolding glare.

"What?" He replied stubbornly, and he quickly blanched at the sight of Azurill, who looked about to burst into tears. "Erk..."

"Hey!" Erin swiftly jumped into the conversation, shoving Rose away and giving the child a wide, gleeful smile. Azurill sniffled, looking up at the bubbly Mienshao, his eyes still watery. He blinked as he felt a paw briefly poke his belly. "Boop!"

"B-boop?" He stuttered.

"You're it, right? Now you gotta catch me!" Erin darted back a few steps, goofily waving her paws around as she beckoned to the young Pokemon, and she dashed down the hallway, headed for the cavern's exit. Azurill stared blankly, and I chuckled.

"You better go after her, Azurill," I gave him a thumbs-up. "She'd be pretty unhappy if you didn't want to play."

"Al... alright!" Azurill slowly adorned a small, happy smile, and he began to bounce after his prey, getting faster and faster until he, too, was out of sight.

* * *

"Bye, Marill! Bye, Azurill!" Erin yelled a farewell to the two brothers, who waved back from the path leading to their home, Azurill looking far more enthusiastic than before. The warm sun was high in the sky now, and just over the hill I could hear Treasure Town buzzing with activity. We had long since returned Pelipper's mailbag, and the bird was likely far away by now, continuing on his delivery duties. I furrowed my brow and leaned against the watering hole, looking at our letter: a weathered envelope stamped with the image of a familiar pink flower. The wax seal seemed like it could have melted from the heat alone.

"So this is what was sent to us..." Rose murmured thoughtfully, pacing back and forth, her tails drooping so low that they could have swept the dirt path if they went any lower. "A letter from the Shaymin Village..."

"No use just standin' around'n lookin' at it," Cyan said, popping his helmet off and wiping the sweat from his brow. His ears lay flat against his head, buffeted by the mild breeze. "Open it up, let's see what it says."

I nodded, lightly pressing my pawspike just next to the wax, and I gently cut a line through it, not stopping until the flap popped off. Discarding the envelope, I unfolded the rough paper, skimming over the hastily-scrawled message. My breath caught in my throat and I could feel my eyes widen. An excited smile dawned on my face, growing bigger and bigger as I passed the note to Rose, who fumbled to keep the wind from blowing it away, finally pinning it down under her paws. "It looks like we're going to be going to Sky Peak."

"Huh?" Erin hopped onto Cyan's backpack, laying on her belly as her chin rested in her paws. "What for?"

Rose tore away from the letter and looked at me, disbelief, anxiety and joy swirling in her eyes, her tails beginning to wag furiously. "A sighting... a sighting, after so long!"

I grabbed her paws and lifted her onto her hind legs, the two of us moving back and forth in a little jig. Cyan's eyebrow quirked upward as he grabbed the letter. "Sightin'? Sky Peak? You've gotta keep us in th'know, y'know."

My partner and I quickly came to our senses, and we dropped to the ground, laughing through our embarrassment, too thrilled to care about our outburst. Dusting myself off, I turned with Rose to look at Cyan and Erin, the tension palpable.

"They've seen him... they've seen Darkrai at Sky Peak!"

* * *

**A/N:**** It's been... quite a while since I've uploaded something here, isn't it?**

**This is going to be styled differently from some of the previous things I've uploaded. I've been watching a lot of the old anime seasons, looking at their progression and studying how they take multiple different, semi-connected and self-contained stories and weave it into one line. I'm intending for this project to be something similar; something episodic, if you will.**

**I don't know when I'll finish it, but this is something that I plan to finish, no matter how long it might take.**


	2. Departure! Fording the Serenity River!

_The next morning..._

* * *

The dirt path was hot, rough and worn under our feet as we trekked along merrily, the wind picking up as a comfortable breeze swept across the trees. Rose and I matched our stride easily, the two of us vigorously marching through the forested trail, the sound of flowing water growing louder and louder as we neared our first destination. Behind us, I could hear Cyan stomping along, weighted down by his pack of supplies, not to mention the passenger that was hitching a ride on top of the bag.

"Oi, Bill!" The Samurott yelled out, his voice ragged as he gulped down air. "Hold... hold up'a moment!"

We slowed to a stop, turning around to watch the sea lion dramatically drag himself a few more paces forward before crumpling to the ground, his tongue lolling out as he wheezed heavily. Erin let out an amused giggle as she hopped off of her perch, poking playfully at Cyan's mustache with her paw.

"Aww, are you tired?" She teased, receiving a mild grunt in response. She stomped forward a few paces in an imitation of the teen, raising her arms high as she flexed. "The big, tough, Heatmor-trained mercenary, defeated by an hour or two's march!"

"'Ey!" Cyan frowned, curling his head up to look at Erin. Rose and I walked forward, and I stretched my back, ready to interject as soon as the argument got heated. "We spent th'whole evening yesterday packin' and we didn't even eat before leavin' at the crack o'dawn! I might be trained, but I've still got my limits!"

As if to punctuate the statement, a loud, collective rumbling sounded out, and the four of us glanced at our stomachs. I felt my face flame up a bit, and I scratched idly behind my ears, the aura tassels bumping against my shoulders. Erin seemed to be having trouble containing a fit of laughter, and Cyan was resting his head in his paws, drumming his fingers against his cheeks.

"I guess we did forget to eat," Rose said, clawing a thin trio of lines in the dirt. "We rushed out and everything."

I nodded, shooting Cyan a look of embarrassment. "It's just a few more paces until we get to the fork in the road. Should we break for brunch there?"

"Nooooo!"

"Wait, what?" I blurted out in surprise. Cyan pushed himself back onto his feet, his eyes narrowing. "Why not?"

"Geeeeeet back here, you... you rapscallion! You scalawag!"

"Above us!" He yelled out, drawing a seamitar as he shoved past us. "Over the hill!"

Erin paused to tie her sleeve into a sling, and Rose and I ran after Cyan, skidding to an abrupt stop as we reached the apex of the rising soil. Below, to the left of a small clearing, sat a statue of a Kangaskhan, the monument to traveling obscured by thick clumps of shrubbery. In front of the statue, two Pokemon played tug-of-war with a bright and shiny coin charm. One was an old, brown duck, holding a leek in his beak as he tugged doggedly on the necklace. The other was a mass of discolored vines with two stubby red feet. Neither had the upper hand.

"No way, old timer! Don't think you can beat me!"

"That's mine, you fool, and I will not stand for you taking it!"

Cyan brandished his weapon and let out a mighty battlecry, the roar startling both of the Pokemon, and he leapt from the hill, slamming hard into the clearing. He eyed the two warily, holding his blade in a defensive stance. Erin bounced over our heads after him, and Rose and I carefully slid down the hill.

"Alright, hold on," I said, stepping past and eyeing the two Pokemon warily. "What's going on here?"

"He's trying to steal my lucky charm!"

"What'd you say!? That's-"

"Shaddap!" Cyan bellowed, drawing his other seamitar and pointing both at the feuding Pokemon. "Drop it now, both'a ya!

The Tangela was too surprised to respond, its vines hanging loosely as they began to uncoil, and the Farfetch'd yanked the coin away with enough force to send him stumbling backwards. The grass-type yelped and ran, wading into the water as he escaped into the mystery dungeon. Cyan growled, about to give chase, and I lashed out, grabbing him by his tail.

"Woah there, now," I cautioned, standing my ground as best I could as Cyan struggled to break free. "Cyan, hold still! Let him go!"

The Samurott thrashed for a few more moments before settling down, stabbing his sword into the dirt and shaking his fist in the direction of Serenity River. "And y'better not come back!"

"Hoohoo... achoo!" The Farfetch'd sneezed, covering his beak with his wings. "My goodness!"

"Are you alright, mister?" Erin tottered forward, squatting to the old bird's level.

His stomach rumbled. We all let out a round of nervous chuckles.

"We should probably get some food ready."

* * *

**Departure! Fording the Serenity River!**

* * *

"Alright, sir..." Rose started, looking up from her bowl of soup at the strange Farfetch'd. The bird had let his leek rest inside of his own bowl, not noticing that the broth was staining the vegetable bright red, preferring focus on vigorously shining his necklace. "Could you repeat that one more time... now that your mouth isn't full?"

"Mmumph!" He peeked his head up, letting the charm rest against his downy chest as he finally took a gulp of his soup. "Yes, ah... what was I saying again?"

Cyan grunted, picking a bit of a berry out of his teeth. "You were tellin' us who y'are and what you're doin' here."

"Oh! Uh, yes," The Farfetch'd backpedaled a bit, chuckling absentmindedly. "Silly me. My name is, ah... Hermit! Yes, that's it. I'm the lucky Hermit!"

I folded my arms, lifting a bowl to my lips and taking a sip. Tamato's familiar, spicy heat washed over my tongue before quickly being neutralized by a chunk of a potato, and I licked my lips, savoring the various flavors before continuing the conversation. "So, Hermit. You live around here?"

"Yes, old boy, I live near a cave just over that way." Hermit stretched out his wings before pointing vaguely in the direction of the woods. Four pairs of eyes followed, and I stifled a skeptical snicker as an awkward silence fell over us.

"R-Right..." Rose's tails lay low to the ground as she cocked her head in mild confusion. "Around the Drenched Bluff... then."

"But if you live over there, what are you doing out here, mister?" Erin asked. "Are you going on a trip?"

"Why, yes, actually!" The Farfetch'd nodded, turning around and jabbing his now-very-red leek towards the path leading away from Treasure Town. "I'm going to visit a friend of mine, he lives near the Waterfall Cave..."

He hopped onto his feet in a sudden panic, startling everyone as his head flicking every which way before settling on the exact opposite direction. "Er, that way! Yes, that way, across Serenity... River?"

We all let out a long sigh of frustration, and I leaned backwards against the Kangaskhan Stone. "You're off to visit a friend, eh... us too."

"Really?" Hermit's head perked up. "But where's your good luck charms? You aren't traveling without them, are you?"

"Luck's nice, but we've got plenty'f experience under our belts," Cyan boasted, nonchalantly dipping his bowl into the pot of soup and serving himself a second helping. Hermit shook his head in surprise, gaping at us. "We're guild graduates, y'know! Team Returners!"

"You're... you're are four explorers?" He asked lamely, light glinting off of his lucky coin. His grasp of his leek slackened, just a little. "I used to be a warrior myself, back when I was your age..."

"So this coin of yours is a good luck charm?" Rose swiftly changed the subject, nodding towards the Farfetch'd with a wave of her head. The old bird nodded, removing the necklace from his head and passing it over. The unremarkable accessory went back and forth along its string.

"Yes, missy!" He explained, trying to act informal but clearly keeping a close eye on the treasured possession. "I've owned that lucky coin as long as I can remember!"

"Ooh!" Erin piped up, scrambling over and yanking the thing away from Rose, pressing her nose against the metal. Hermit squawked irritably, and I took the necklace out of Erin's paws, returning it to its true owner. She shrugged innocently. "So this must be worth a lot of money, then!"

"No, no, nothing like that," The Farfetch'd snapped, huffily wrapping the necklace back around his head. "My old pappy told me a story about this coin once, back when he gave it to me. It's special!"

"So it's got some kinda magic power?" Cyan stroked his mustache thoughtfully, his mind drifting away as he began to daydream. "Does it let ya find lotsa money?"

"Or does it make you super-strong?" Erin joined in, rocking back and forth on her heels as he brought her paws to her chin in excitement.

"Does it let ya stay healthy and never get sick?"

"Or poisoned?"

"Or frozen?"

"Guys, let him be," Before they could crowd around the small bird, I pushed them both away, sending them both a scolding look. Rose padded up to us as Hermit took a series of deep breaths. "Besides, it's probably just something with sentimental value and the outlaw thinks it's valuable. That's always how it turns out."

"Er, yes..." Hermit mumbled, embarrassed. Cyan and Erin both promptly faceplanted into the ground, and I shrugged. Rose chuckled, walking over to my side, and I reached over and tousled her headfur. "It really is just a special family heirloom, nothing magic about it."

"You could have told us that before getting our hopes up!" Erin jokingly complained.

"Oh! That gives me an idea," Hermit's eyes brightened, and he turned to Rose and I, extending his wings in an open gesture. "If you're explorers, would you mind helping me pass across Serenity River?"

"Eh?" I felt an eyebrow quirk upward, and I took a step backwards. Rose and I both glanced at each other, wearing a look of mutual apprehension. "Er..."

"Please help an old Farfetch'd, would you?" He gave us a sad, pleading look, holding his leek close to his chest; the pressure sent excess broth running down the bird's feathers as it exited the vegetable's fronds like a sponge. "I wouldn't have been able to fend off that outlaw without you four, and I certainly don't think I'd be able to get there on my own if he's going to follow me."

"Well, heh, uh," I let out a short, hasty laugh, folding my arms and crossing my feet. Something felt off. "This is kinda out of the blue, here-"

"I don't think that it's too big of a deal," Rose cut me off, pushing past me and placing a paw on top of Hermit's head. "We were planning to go to Tiny Town anyway, so fording the river is just the long way around."

"Does that mean you'll help me?"

"Guys, could we just wait a moment-"

"Yay, a water day!" Erin cheered to herself, bouncing excitedly around the clearing. Cyan was already packing up the supplies, the soup long finished and the pot long cooled. The sun was past its highest point, finally arcing into the afternoon. The dry heat suddenly felt a lot more obvious, and I unconsciously stared at the Kangaskhan Stone, the sound of the running water filling my ears.

"Oi, Bill," Cyan brusquely grabbed my shoulder, breaking me out of my trance. "Are we helpin' the old guy'r what?"

"The heat's getting to him," Rose laughed lightheartedly, sending a wink my way, and I felt my face flame, rubbing at my cheeks to try and remove the blush under my fur. "Shall we head out, then?"

"Haah..." I exhaled heavily, pushing my concerns to the back of my mind. "I guess that's fine. Off to Serenity River, then!"

* * *

The river carried a strong current, the knee-deep water swirling and twisting around our legs as it threatened to sweep us off of our feet and send us floating away. Hermit perched atop Rose's head, nestled snugly in her headfur, and I watched as Erin skipped around, curling up as she cannonballed into a deeper pool. Cyan stomped after her, wincing as a stray wave of water hit him head on, and he slowly eased himself into the river, kicking against the pull.

"C'mon, Erin!" The Samurott called, watching as the lean pink mink flung her arms about, the thick fur quickly becoming sopping wet. With the added weight, Erin struggled to fight against the current. "I know you can do better'n that!"

"Cyan, Erin," I yelled, cupping my paws to my mouth. "You two go on ahead, and keep an eye out for trouble! I'll send up a signal if we find it first."

"Fine, fine!" Cyan replied, paddling over to his friend and lifting her onto his back. She wheezed heavily, wringing out her sleeves on top of his bag. He grimaced. "C'mon, Erin, let's roll!"

The pair swam off, turning a corner near a thick wall of plants and disappearing from sight, and I looked over at Hermit, who was waving goodbye to a thick tree root in the opposite direction. Rose noticed my annoyed look, and peered upward, sighing as she noticed her passenger. "Other way."

"Oh!" Hermit hopped a good few inches into the air before turning around and waving. "Ahem, yes."

The two of us waded through the stream in silence, the babbling brook belying the tension that hung in the air. Schools of Barboach fluttered by, content to leave us alone in their search for food, and the occasional Lotad sprang out from the depths, basking in the warm, springtime sun.

"For wild Pokemon, they seem pretty tame," Rose remarked, the tips of her tails dragging through the water. "I've got an idea. Hold up, Bill."

"Huh?" I blurted, watching as the fox trotted up to a large Quagsire that lay, half-submerged, in the river. I blinked in mild confusion. "What now?"

Rose prodded the water type with a paw, prompting him to roll onto his back, sitting up slowly as a dopey grin spread across his features. "Excuse me, but we're looking for a Tangela that ran through here earlier today. Have you seen him?

"Er?" The Quagsire cocked its head, his eyes briefly widening at Hermit, the old bird shrinking under its gaze. "Hm? Mm-mm."

"Well, uh, he attempted to steal a coin from our client here," She gestured towards her passenger. "Would you mind keeping an eye out in case he passes by?"

"Coin... round coin..." The Quagsire looked at the shiny charm, his eyes clouding over as his head slackened. Without warning he lunged forward, wrapping Hermit into a death grip, and Rose jumped backwards with a gasp. I ran to her side, watching closely as the oversized salamander roughly yanked the amulet coin off of Hermit's neck before winding his arm up. "Round!"

"Not even fifteen minutes in and we already found trouble," I quipped dryly as I curled my paws into fists. "Maybe we should've had Cyan and Erin just stick with us."

"Too late to worry about it now," The Ninetales nudged me to the left, keeping a close eye on the enemy. "You head that way, I've got the right!"

We both bounded out of the way as the Quagsire flung Hermit towards us, sending the duck skimming across the river, his leek nearly flying out of his beak. Rose dashed at the water fish, tackling him and sending them both into a heap. As she let loose with a blast of fire, Quagsire submerged himself into the muddy depths of the riverbed, smearing his body with a coating of mud. Strangely, the amulet coin seemed untouched.

"Mine!" He slammed a scoopful of the glop hard into Rose's head, and she yelped as she was forced into the water, temporarily blinded. I ran forwards, forming two tiny spheres of aura in the palms of my paws, and the Quagsire turned to face me, shifting his weight to the back of his feet, bracing himself for an all-out attack.

It never came. I skidded to a stop and sprang into the air, somersaulting over his head and stomping hard on his tail, slapping both aura spheres into his uncovered back. Quagsire didn't even flinch, immediately pulling his tail out from under me. My eyes widened as I felt the movement, and I waved my arms wildly, trying as hard as I could to keep my balance.

"CoiiIIIIII-" A sudden blast of energy came from close by, toppling Quagsire over once again, and I felt soft fur press against my sides, gently breaking my fall. I playfully tugged on one of the tails in thanks.

"Thanks, partner," I said, taking a deep breath. "Is Hermit alright?"

Rose took a brief glance at the old bird as Quagsire got to his feet. "He's... he's headed this way!?"

I snapped to attention, watching as the Farfetch'd brandished his leek with both wings, the vegetable glowing brightly. Quagsire was too dazed to notice the little Pokemon, only noticing him as he let out a battlecry. "Ruffian!"

The leek flashed, the fronds merging into one long strand, and Hermit brought the weapon down, landing a clean cut on the water type's body. The pain quickly brought Quagsire back to attention, and sunlight danced off of the lucky coin as he dabbed at the gash, getting mud in the wound (and probably making it worse).

I quickly charged up an aura sphere and sent it towards the outlaw. Booting Hermit away with a gentle flick of his tail, he looked to the sky, spraying out a concentrated blast of water into the air, catching the aura and sending it high into the air, where it let out a flash of light before dematerializing. As the makeshift rainstorm pitter-patted down, Quagsire dove into the river, making a hasty retreat towards a gap in the thick, overgrown walls.

"You're not gonna get away that easily!" I yelled, tightening the straps of the treasure bag before slamming my feet into the ground and pouncing forward. As Rose and I chased fervently after the escaping Pokemon, Hermit hobbled behind us, casually pushing through the water with his webbed feet. He let out a chuckle.

* * *

"Cyan, hold up a second!"

"If it's 'nother half-buried orb, then jus' forget 'bout it," The Samurott replied grumpily, pushing through the deep water, and Erin let out a joking pout as she examined two other orbs, giving them a quick rub with her sleeve. The early shrubbery had given way to a thick orchard of willow trees, their branches dangling low to the ground and dappling the river with their fallen flowers. "'Sides, you've got plenty of 'em already."

"Doesn't mean I can't stock up, doofus face!" Erin slipped the magical items into her pouch before patting Cyan's side, rubbing small circles on his arm. "None of the ones I have right now are good for keeping wild Pokemon away, and what if we run into Tangela?"

"Then I'll deal with 'im, and you'll back me up, like we normally do-" Cyan paused mid-sentence, his gaze tightening as he pushed a few lily pads from his path with a seamitar. "And I think I hear something right now..."

"You do!?" Erin scrambled onto his helmet, seating herself in front of the first spike and brusquely pushing Cyan's face into the drink. The Mienshao's head twitched from side to side as Cyan let out a bundle of bubbles from underwater, staring up at his partner with an irritated expression. "Which way?"

"No way, if you keep chatterin'!" He gave a sharp shrug with his head, sending Erin toppling backwards onto his backpack. "Now shush it! Lemme listen..."

Erin let out a brief huff before growing quiet, the pair clearly hearing a voice over the gentle stream.

"Don't come any closer!"

A chorus of burbling noises rose up, and a vine reached up towards one of the willow branches. It stopped just short of grasping it, instead tensing up before falling to earth. The voice called out again, much more frantic.

"Let go of me! You and your boss aren't gonna get me, I mean it!"

"Boss?" Erin cocked her head, leaping off of Cyan's back and swimming towards Tangela. "C'mon, let's go, Cyan!"

"W-what? Erin!" Cyan yelled, kicking hard after her. They swiftly made their way into the room, only stopping once they really saw the crowd of Pokemon that sat in the shallow pool. "Wait, Woopers!?"

A good seven or eight blue salamanders turned around and stared listlessly at the newcomers, letting out a low, screechy noise that made everyone around wince in pain. A couple of the Wooper were biting down hard on Tangela's vines, keeping the outlaw from escaping, and the grass type sucked in a fearful breath as the Samurott and Mienshao came into view. "You... you two! Please, help me!"

Cyan unsheathed his second blade, clasping the two together in a two-pawed stance. "You'll need a lot more help where you're goin', outlaw!"

"Heeeeey!" Erin let out a loud whine, nearly as ear-piercing as the Woopers' screeching, and she bunny-hopped forward, bouncing on one foot and then the other as she lightly flicked her sleeves at the group of Wooper. "Let him go, you big bullies!"

A large spout of water erupted from far off in the distance, with a bright flash of light following, catching the attention of the water fishes. Like clockwork, they dropped everything, rushing frantically towards the signal, obliviously trampling and knocking each other over as they fled. Tangela slumped over, breathing heavily as Erin flashing him a giddy smile.

"I can't believe that really worked!" She pumped a fist in the air, jumping for joy. "I guess I should try doing that more often!"

"No..." Tangela managed to spit out in between gulps of air. "Don't celebrate... yet..."

"He's right, Erin," Cyan stomped up to the two, pointing his seamitar loosely at the outlaw. "We got lucky with th'small fry, but there's one other Pokemon to take care of!"

"Wait, n-no!" Tangela rose to his full height, wriggling around in a panic. "Just hear me out, please! The waterfall, wait!"

"A real good excuse for'real bad outlaw," Cyan fired back, raising his sword as it glowed a drab green. "I hope you're ready to get stuck in a pris'n sphere!"

"Cyan, will you calm down for a minute!?" Erin yanked the Samurott's helmet right off, dumping it unceremoniously into the mud, and pulled his ear wide open, moving her head mere inches away before screaming into it. Cyan dropped both of his seamitars, dazed by the loud noise. "Didn't you even look at that water? There was an aura sphere up there! Bill and Rose need our help!"

"But we've got th'outlaw right here!" Cyan shook his head, moving his partner out of the way as he retrieved his helmet. He growled angrily as he looked at the grime that covered the inside of it. "We jus' bag him here, go help Bill 'n Rose, and drop 'em with the guards at Tiny Town! We finished the mission!"

"Forget the mission! Bill and Rose might be hurt!"

"And we let th'outlaw go free? Great plan!"

"Oh, forget it, I'll go myself!"

"Forget what? The outlaw? No way, Erin!"

"What?" Erin blinked, her temper cooling. "No, I didn't say that!"

"You said somethin'!" Cyan took a deep breath and ran his paw down his face, turning away from Erin to scoop river water into his helmet. After a few seconds of washing the mud out, he looked at her again, his expression much calmer. "You said to forget somethin', right? What didja mean?"

"No, I never said anything like that!" The Mienshao shook her head, hiding her face in her sleeves. "Um... sorry about the helmet."

"It's fine, don't worry 'bout it," Cyan shook his head. "Sorry for snappin'."

"But if I didn't say it... and you obviously didn't say it," Erin put the pieces together in her head, the gears turning and turning. "Then Tangela..."

The two of them whipped their heads around just in time to catch a glimpse of Tangela's foot disappearing down a narrow passageway in the riverbed, the same one that the Wooper had taken.

"Dammit all!" Cyan swore, slamming his helmet back onto his head and sheathing his blades. "C'mon, Erin, you're gettin' your way after all! Followin' Tangela should bring us right t'Bill and Rose!"

"All righty!" Erin gave a thumbs-up, nodding cheerfully. "Let's go!"

* * *

Everything was a blur as Rose and I made a mad dash through the forested path, the roar of falling water growing ever louder as the lush grass gave way to smooth sandstone. Quagsire had already disappeared from sight, but there was only one place that you could get to by swimming up the river, and soon enough the Waterfall Cave came into sight, white waves billowing down from the hilltop, masking the tunnels that lay within. As the two of us slowed to a stop, I leaned down, taking a couple deep breaths through my nose.

"He's got to be inside by now..." Rose paced back and forth, her tails wagging up and down. "Let's rest our feet for a little, and then get him."

"We should have Hermit stay outside." I puffed, reaching into the treasure bag and pulling out an apple. One deft flick of the wrist later, I took a bite out of a half, handing the other to Rose. "Something about this whole thing doesn't feel right."

"Wasn't that just the heat getting to you?" Rose said, arching her back in a stretch.

"No, that's just what you thought aloud," I shook my head, gulping down the quick snack. "No, this isn't some passing thing. Something about this whole thing is just off. I'd rather not have Hermit with us in case something happens, with Quagsire or with him himself."

"He pulled a neat trick before, though," The Ninetales replied, her words muffled by fruit bits. "If he can handle himself like that, I don't think he'd be in too much danger if he went along with us."

"If he can handle himself like that, he wouldn't have gotten his coin..." I paused, furrowing my brow in concentration. "Stolen... in the first place..."

A chill ran down our spines, and Rose stopped chewing, the logic break processing. I frowned, surveying the area, and the brown bird was nowhere in sight. "Where... is Hermit, anyway?"

A veritable bomb went off behind us, and Rose cried out as a concentrated torrent of water spiraled into her from through the waterfall. Taking the attack dead on, she dug her claws into the stone, holding her ground as best she could. I turned towards the hidden cave, preparing to dive through the cascading falls, but a sharp, stabbing pain at the back of my head sent me to my knees. I reached around and pulled the attacker off of the treasure bag.

"Hermit..." I growled. "You set us up, didn't you?"

"Too little, too late, explorer!" The bird cackled, his voice no longer old and wheezy. His leek glowed again, the leaf blade held straight from his beak. "You should know better than to trust random Pokemon in the wilderness!"

A trio of strange, silver pulses surrounded the Farfetch'd, tearing him from my grasp, and I glanced over at Rose, her eyes burning angrily as she sent the psyshock into his body. Her legs trembled violently, still frail from taking the brunt of a hydro pump. "And you should know better than to even try and mess with an exploration team like that!"

"Awk! Stop it, you twerp!" Hermit screeched as he fluttered high into the air, and Quagsire jumped out from the entrance to the Waterfall Cave, catching him mid-leap. "I might be an outlaw, but I still demand the respect an old Pokemon deserves!"

"Forget it, outlaw!" I shot back, flashing him a grim smile before wincing in pain, my head aching. "You lost any chance of respect the moment you started playing dirty!"

"It wasn't a request," Hermit poked my nose with his leek. "I don't think you or your stupid little friend would benefit from any more of Quagsire's ground attacks, hm?"

"I..." He had a point. "...agh..."

"Good boy," The brown duck said mockingly, and he extended a wing towards his partner-in-crime. "Now, Quagsire, would you give me the amulet coin back?"

"Round."

The Farfetch'd's smug smirk faltered. "Excuse me?"

"Mine!" Quagsire brought his arms up, slamming them into the bird and knocking him out instantly. As Hermit flopped limply to the ground next to me, a chorus of screeches cheered the wild Pokemon on, and I sucked in a breath, my head and heart pounding, as I turned around and stared a small mob of underlings right in the face.

"Rose..." I gasped out. "Next time we go on a long trip... remind me never to let us get distracted..."

"Remind me..." She replied quietly, breathing raggedly. "Remind me to never get too suckered in... deal?"

Despite everything, I still cracked a smile at her, the both of us curled up against the rocky cliff. "Deal..."

She returned my smile before slumping over, the powerful hydro pump having finally taken its full toll on her, and I felt the feet of some of the Wooper crawl up onto my back and head.

They stomped down hard, and I blacked out.

* * *

**A/N: I wasn't particularly happy with how this chapter was turning out at first. I decided to split it into two separate chapters instead of fitting it all into one, and that made me feel a lot better about it.**

**Remember how I said I was wanting to make this in the vein of the anime, where the overarching goal isn't addressed too much and most of the chapters are simply stuff that happens while traveling? Something like this.**


	3. Outlaws! Tribe of the Waterfall Cave!

A harsh wind had begun to blow in from the north, whipping the trees into a frenzy as they hung over the edges of the cliff, the grand waterfall plunging down from the top of the small mountain and crashing into the ground. The bushes rustled as a bundle of vines rushed towards the hidden cavern, squatting low to inspect the rocks, gingerly brushing away dust and dirt with a few deliberate strokes. Behind him, Cyan and Erin ran out, panting heavily as they slowed to a stop. Erin looked up at the sky, letting out a coo as she gazed at the stars that were beginning to appear, escorted by a full moon.

"Wow... you can see so many of them here!" The Mienshao reached for the sky, her paw twitching as she began to count. She quickly gave up, turning to her friend. "Cyan, look!"

"The sun's fadin' fast, Erin," Cyan replied, looking at the top of the waterfall. White foam floated lazily down the river. "We need t'find Bill n' Rose and jus' get outta here."

"I'm already too late..." The two explorers turned their heads, giving Tangela a look of skepticism. The Vine Pokemon drew himself up to his full height, exhaling in frustration. "If you two hadn't spent your time arguing, maybe we could have helped your friends, and I could have gotten that outlaw to boot!"

"What!?" Cyan drew forth one of his seamitars, gritting his teeth angrily, and he lowered his head, aiming his helmet's horn at the grass type. "What did we do?"

"Does this look familiar, kid?" Tangela snapped, lashing out at Cyan and Erin with a clump of vines, wrapped around a leek. Erin let out a short gasp, squishing her paws into her cheeks. The Samurott tightened his grip around the blade. "Your two friends and that birdbrain are already hostages."

"Hostages? Of those li'l Woopers?"

"Not just a few, a whole tribe of 'em," Tangela pointed at the waterfall. "The Farfetch'd made the mistake of trying to make a deal with the boss."

"You mean Hermit, mister?" Erin bounced forward, leaning over to Tangela's level, and she rolled her eyes in thought. "But he said that you were trying to steal his coin!"

"I don't care about whatever lies that outlaw told you, missy." Tangela wriggled around irritably, and a vine spun around the pink weasel's mouth. After a few seconds, he released his hold, and Erin rubbed at her sore nose with a soft whine. "If you four hadn't come along this morning, I would have brought him in and this whole mess wouldn't have happened!"

"Brought 'im in?" Cyan furrowed his brow, keeping a close eye on the grass type. "So you're workin' with Officer Magnezone and the rest o'the police?"

"If freelance bounty hunting to get some money counts as working with the police, then sure!" Tangela said angrily, and he let out a sigh of resignation, letting himself slump forward. "Look, you two... sorry. You did sorta help me out back there, so thanks for that."

"Er..." Cyan reared back, eyes widening a little. "You're welcome?"

"No problem, mister!" Erin said with a chipper smile. "We were happy to help!"

"Are you two at least willing to pipe down for a minute and listen to me?" Tangela began to pace around the outcropping. "We've got the same basic goal now, so you're going to have to deal with me anyway."

"Hrrrmff," The Samurott let out a grumpy grumble, sheathing his weapon and sitting down. "Fine, I guess. If you were really an outlaw, you'd've attacked us already, I reckon."

"See, Cyan?" Erin rocked back and forth on her heels happily. "I knew he wasn't so bad!"

"Don't rub it in, Erin." The sea lion tugged gently at one of Erin's whiskers. She giggled and flopped onto her backside.

"Thank you, miss..." Tangela nodded at the Mienshao, taking a seat himself. "Now, here's what the deal is..."

* * *

**Outlaws! Tribe of the Waterfall Cave!**

* * *

I awoke to a throbbing ache in my back, mild jolts of pain running through my body as I rolled onto my side, stretching my legs and arms. I winced as I opened my eyes, a mishmash of fuzzy reds and grays playing in my sight, and an unpleasantly acrid scent burned in my nostrils.

"Bill? Are you awake?"

"Ugh..." Rose's voice might have been a wonderful sound to hear, but the way it boomed around in my ears didn't help in the slightest. I rubbed my eyes and forced myself up into a sitting position, the feeling of damp clay irritating my fur. "A little quieter, please..."

"Sorry about that," She whispered, and I felt her cold nose against my neck. I reached back and brushed my paw against her muzzle, and she nuzzled it affectionately, giving it a lick. "How do you feel?"

I blinked a couple times to focus my vision, feeling myself over from head to toe. Backache, earache, everything-ache. "Pretty terrible."

"Here." She placed a small, yellow berry in my paw, and I greedily gobbled it down. The Sitrus's latent healing ability kicked in quickly, and I moaned as the pain began to melt away. "They looted through the whole bag, and I think all they left us with was our exploration team badge. That and the berry was all I found so far."

"Are you doing okay?" I asked, and Rose trotted around to face me; her fur was matted and frazzled, the treasure bag hung limply from her neck, and her blue scarf was stained with mud and clay. Her eyes looked tired, and I reached out, pulling her into a tight embrace. "You look pretty awful yourself."

"Gee, thanks," She replied with a chuckle, resting her chin on my shoulder. "I can't tell how long we've been in here, but I think we've only been asleep for an hour or two."

"Where are we, anyway?" I looked around the cavern. There was a small torch stuck loosely into the gray, stone wall, illuminating the floor of clay and the jagged rocks that stuck downward from the ceiling. Tiny puddles of incredibly dirty water sat near the end of the room, close to a heavily fortified wooden gate that somehow still looked like it could burn to ashes at the slightest provocation. Four of the Woopers balanced precariously atop the gate, watching us intently, and the walls of the tunnel outside were lined with rickety wooden barriers. "A prison cell? This feels familiar."

"No kidding," Rose said, stepping backwards and looking around, her nine tails waving back and forth as she began to pace around the room. "It looks like the Wooper dragged us into the Waterfall Cave, so we're probably somewhere deep inside. Probably near the deepest part of the dungeon."

"Oooooarrrgh..."

The two of us spun our heads around, and I frowned deeply as a brown bird slowly wobbled up onto its webbed feet, holding his wings to his head. Rose took a tentative step forward, an unhappy expression on her face. "What... what happened, ooh?"

"Early to catch the Caterpie, Hermit?" I quipped dryly as I stood up, and I tapped my feet against the floor, my own tail beginning to wag alongside Rose's. The Farfetch'd turned around, grimacing angrily when he saw us.

"You two!?" He reached for his side and took an aggressive stance. Rose tensed up a bit, but I gently patted her shoulder to calm her down. Hermit quickly did a double-take, and then a complete circle. "Wha- where's my leek? What did you two do with it!?"

"You must have dropped it when Quagsire knocked us all out." Rose muttered, and Hermit childishly stomped his feet in frustration. "Hermit, why did you lie to us?"

"Aaaargh! This is all your fault! You could have just not helped me and we would have been on our merry ways!"

"Maybe trusting you was our fault, but you could have easily just," I continued to goad the bird, who seemed angry enough to explode. Like an Electrode, but with way more feathers. A remaining twinge of pain ran down my neck, and I rolled my shoulders in response. "Y'know, not stabbed us in the back? Both literally and figuratively?"

"S-shut up, explorer!" The Farfetch'd squawked, fluttering over to me. "If you didn't look like good marks, I'd have left you alone in the first place!"

"Sure, of course." I shook my head, flashing the bird a smug grin. He reared up, ready to throw a tantrum.

"Stop it, both of you," Rose ordered firmly, moving between the two of us. Hermit shook with anger and stomped past me, and I shrugged at my partner, who fixed me with a hard stare. The duck strode over to the gate, kicking it to get the guards' attention. The group of Woopers looked blankly past him, and the outlaw let out a cough to clear his throat.

"Hmrhm! You two!" Hermit jabbed a wing at the Woopers. "I'm a friend of your leader, and I demand to be let out of this cell this instant!"

The four fish let out a loud screen and hopped down from their perch, blasting the bird with a series of water guns, and the Farfetch'd zoomed backwards into the opposite wall, letting out a garbled cry as his beak filled with liquid. As the attack ceased, the guards jumped back up to their posts, wobbling as they continued to stare at us with dead, mindless eyes. "Glarg! You and your tribe will pay for this, do you hear me!?"

"Save your breath, birdbrain." I sat down against the clay, crossing my legs as I glanced over at the now-sopping outlaw. He shook, ruffling his feathers in an attempt to dry himself off, and Rose walked over, wiping him down with her tails. "We're stuck together now, so we might as well get comfy."

"Hmph!" Hermit shooed my partner away, grumping to himself as he watched the Ninetales sit down next to me. I felt her tails curl around mine affectionately. "Fine company I get to be stuck with."

"Rose?" I ignored the jab, turning to look at my partner, who looked at me expectantly. "The treasure bag?"

"Oh! Right..." Her eyes lit up, and she let the bag fall to the ground, sticking her nose into the biggest pocket. "Like I said, I think Quagsire and the Woopers stole most of our stuff-"

"They're obsessed with round objects, in case you couldn't tell," Hermit cut in snidely. "If you had any kind of useful items in there, they were probably round, and now they're in the hands of those wretched wild Pokemon!"

"There's at least one thing still in here," Rose replied as she exited the bag, a note of excitement in her voice. A seed, shaped like a dull yellow diamond with a twisted green stem, was held delicately in her teeth. I cupped my paws together as she gently gave me the once-helpful seed, and Hermit perked up considerably at the sight. Rose ran her teeth against the top of her tongue in annoyance. "Blegh. Maybe not."

"Is that...?" Hermit stood on the tips of his feet, and I moved my paws away from the bird.

"It's a plain seed, all right..." I scratched one of my ears sheepishly, tossing the useless item over my shoulder. "I doubt it's going to help us out of here, but at least it's something."

"Don't sugarcoat, explorer, it's just junk!" The Farfetch'd scowled at us, stating the obvious. "Just have your little partner burn the gate down!"

"Did you forget how you got soaking wet?" I poked him. "Of course, we could just not get the guards to call for help."

"But how would we do that, Bill?" Rose wondered aloud, peering over at the wooden gate. Her eyes narrowed. "I could easily burn that whole barricade down as long as nobody was around to put the fire out."

"That's exactly what I was saying." I cracked my knuckles, smiling confidently. "Distract the guards, burn the gate, we're good to go. All we need is how..."

"Well, I'm going to just wait here and dry off until Quagsire comes around, and then he'll get what's coming to him!" Hermit yanked the empty treasure bag away from us, climbing into it and closing the flap over his head. "Now leave me alone!"

"Hey, wait a-" I cut myself off mid-sentence and kept myself from reaching over and pulling the outlaw out of the backpack, instead looking at the Woopers one more time. They hadn't reacted - in fact, their count had been cut in half, and the two that were left seemed to be distracted with something else on the other side of the gate, and hadn't even noticed the scuffle. Rose cocked her head.

"Bill?" She asked. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, actually," I responded with a cheeky grin, and the Ninetales nodded in return. I leaned in, whispering into her ear. "In fact, I think I just thought of something so stupid and contrived that it'll probably work."

"So that means it's probably going to work?" She grinned back at me, and I playfully tousled her mussy headfur.

"Hey now, it's not my fault that wild Pokemon are easy to trick," I replied, roughly grabbing the treasure bag and slipping it over my shoulders. I unpinned our exploration badge, passing it to Rose for safekeeing, and Hermit wiggled around as he felt himself moving, raging incoherently from inside the hefty backpack. "Shut it, Hermit, I've got an idea."

He made a little more noise before settling down, and I slowly took a step forward, and another, readying myself for a fight. The guards balanced on top of the gate, peering tensely into the dark tunnels for any sight of their friends.

"Oi!" I called out, waving at the Woopers as they spun around on the tips of their toes, glancing down at me from the top of the large gate. I gestured backwards with a shake of my head. "Maybe you two should try paying more attention to your old friends next time!"

They looked past me into the cavern and blinked, one eye at a time, vacantly taking in the absence of their former partner, and after a brief moment they hopped down and stepped warily into the center of the room. As they scanned their heads from left to right, Rose drew their gaze away from the exit, watching them carefully as she stuck the team badge on her scarf. I swiveled on my heel, folding my arms and putting on a scolding look as I snuck up behind them."

"You and your boss really made him angry, you know!" Rose accused dramatically as she figured out the plan, pointing her nose firmly at the two guards, who were beginning to look nervous, their gills shaking. "I bet he's gonna go tell all his outlaw friends about how you treated him!"

I turned the treasure bag upside-down, and Hermit fell onto the clay with a thump, shaking his head as he regained his bearings. The two guards turned around at the noise, freezing as they realized the trick. I dashed forward, holding the bag wide open. "Now!"

Rose slammed hard into one of the Woopers, knocking him to the floor, and she stomped on his belly as she made for the gate. The other Wooper found himself abruptly shoved into the treasure bag, and I held the flap tightly closed as he writhed around inside. Hermit sucked in a breath as he saw the commotion, his jaw dropping as he watched me wrangle the water type. "W-what!? What did you-"

"Hermit, take care of the other guard! Rose is getting us out of here!" I ordered, struggling to keep hold of the bag as I squeezed it into a death grip, wincing as a couple blows struck my stomach through the leather. The Farfetch'd switched his focus back and forth from me to the guard, and the Wooper hopped back onto his feet, making strange noises to himself as he leered at the bird.

"Bugger off, you traitor!" Hermit flung himself at the guard, sending them both into a heap on the ground as they traded blows. I gritted my teeth and looked at Rose, who was blasting flamethrowers at various dry spots at the wood. A kick in my ribs brought me back to attention, and I grabbed the bag's straps tightly, spinning it around quickly before slamming it into the floor, the Wooper stumbling out of the bag and fainting, a dizzy expression on his face. A quick check of his body confirmed his unconsciousness, and I stood up and ran over to Hermit. "Help me with this ruffian!"

"Bill!" Rose called out to me as I wrenched the bird and fish apart, grasping both of them tightly as I whipped my head around, staring at the barricade, which now crackled with a satisfying orange glow. My confidence faltered when I noticed the large amount of black smoke that rose with it, and the smell began to fill my nostrils. "We didn't think this through!"

"No kidding!" I yelled back, flinging the other Wooper farther into the room and running over to my partner, and I slipped Hermit more snugly into the empty treasure bag. "C'mon, let's get moving before the whole cave goes up in smoke!"

"Are you two insane!?" Our Farfetch'd companion began to rant at us again as we bounded over the now-collapsed gate, and he coughed as he inhaled a lungful of smoke. "Everyone in the cave is going to faint, all the loot and treasure and junk are going to be lost, and it's all your fault!"

"Not where we're going," Rose said, making a hard left at a corner. The smoke was already beginning to float down the hall, leaving a growing haze in our surroundings. "Hey, Bill. Remember what happened to us at the end of our first adventure here?"

"Our first..." My eyes lit up. "The weird gemstone thing at the end of the dungeon! We can put out the fire and wash the entire tribe out of here in one swoop!"

"You've got it!" She replied, slowing down a bit, and I knelt down and hastily returned our badge to our bag. Rose gave me a nod, and I thumbed upwards at her. "Let's do it!"

We pounded into the tunnels, Hermit screaming all the while.

"Let me out of here! You two are crazy! Waaaaait!"

* * *

"This was his plan?"

"For improvising, I think he did pretty good, Cyan!"

The Samurott swung his blades in an upward arc, slashing at a guard, and he ducked and jabbed his helmet forward, warding off a couple other Pokemon with his strikes. "All we're doin' is fightin' these guys head-on!"

Erin laughed merrily to herself atop the large hiking bag as she sent a pebble flying with her sleeve, nailing a pouncing Wooper in mid-jump. "Isn't that how you like it, dummy?"

"I'd like it a li'l more if it were over already!" Cyan growled in pain as a few Woopers slammed their tails into his side, and he levied a strong punch into one unfortunate soul's face. Erin continued to sling stones at the horde of tribal Pokemon, looking around the cavern as enemies poured in from all sides. A vine rose up above the battle, beckoning to the two of them. "Tangela, which way is th'end o'this stupid dungeon?"

"Just follow my lead!" The walking bundle of vines jumped twice before running into the tunnel, and Cyan clasped his seamitars together, turning towards one of the openings in the wall. As he began to shake, Erin hunkered low, curling her arms around her partner's neck. With a loud roar the Samurott surrounded himself with water, jetting forward at high speed, barreling through the Woopers with enough force to knock them all over, and after moving a safe distance Cyan spun out of his dash. The enraged screeches of the tiny water Pokemon grew distant as the three explorers made a beeline through the mystery dungeon, ignoring the empty rooms and crudely-constructed settlements of the cavern's inhabitants.

"This place must have seen better days, huh?" Erin remarked idly as she caught a passing glance of a broken wooden table. "How long have these mean old bullies been here, anyway?"

"The tribe?" Tangela asked, and the Mienshao nodded. "They've been holed up here for a few months now, but they haven't been causing any real trouble. I didn't even think the Farfetch'd would have involved them in this."

"But if they were workin' t'gether, why'd they take Hermit hostage?" Cyan wondered aloud, briefly slowing his pace to take some time to think. "What gives?"

"Quagsire like round objects," Tangela said plainly. "The birdbrain was already fairly good at tricking travelers and then stealing their stuff, but obviously he thought he needed backup."

"So he just didn't think things through, huh?" Erin said to herself, scooting around atop Cyan's backpack. "Heeheehee... what a silly old bi-"

Erin yelped, bumping into her perch's helmet and falling to the floor, her face covered in dirt. Cyan and Tangela turned around, the former grimacing as a brown glob splattered against his helmet. A couple of the Wooper were running at them from the other end of the long trail, spitting projectiles at them from afar, and Tangela began to quicken his pace, turning a corner at a fork in the hall and leaving Cyan and Erin to fend for themselves.

"C'mon, Erin, let's get goin'!" The Samurott picked Erin up off of the clay, carefully wiping the mud from the Mienshao's eyes. Erin gratefully booped her nose against his before clambering onto her partner's back and reaching into her ammo pouch. As Cyan began to run after Tangela, Erin flung stone after stone, ducking and dodging the mud shots as she kept their pursuers at bay.

The tunnels began to blend together as dull rock gave way to shoddy wooden fences, and the Mienshao chuckled to herself as a couple of the Woopers' heads bent backwards from her attacks. The Woopers were unfazed, however, aiming their mud shots at the stones and knocking them out of the air before they could even reach them. Erin's face fell, pouting as her amusement faded. "Man, these guys are good! I can't even get them to slow down a little!"

Cyan turned his head and let out a sigh of exasperation. "If y'can't get 'em with stones, haven't y'got anythin' else you can throw at 'em?"

"Ummm... oh!" Erin dug into her satchel and drew out a couple wonder orbs, waving them around in the air. "The orbs I was getting in the river! I completely forgot about these!"

"Yeah, great," Cyan's eyes widened as a mud shot hit the horn on his helmet, dripping onto his face. "So could ya start usin' 'em?"

"Oh! Um, yeah, hehe." Erin laughed sheepishly, and she took a peek at the orbs in her paws. "Hm... should I use the purple smoky one, or the one with the bright light..."

"ERIN!"

"Purple smoky it is!" She hastily slipped the smoke ball into her sleeve and twirled it around a couple times for good measure. With a goofy grin she let the orb fly. "Take this!"

The magic item smashed to pieces at the feet of the Woopers, exploding into a fluffy puff of pale gray smoke, and the wild Pokemon let out shrieks of surprise as they vanished from sight, tripping over themselves and aggressively giving up the chase, biting at each others' heels and gills. Erin triumphantly pumped her fist in the air and brusquely grabbed Cyan's head, turning it around to look at her work. "Yeaaaah! It worked, Cyan, it worked! Look!"

"Ergh, yeah, Erin, I can see it an'it looks great an'all but leggo'me so I can see where I'm goin' pleasepleaseplea-!" The Samurott spoke faster and faster as he continued to move through the cave, unable to see where he was going, and with a mighty crash he ran into a wall, sending the both of them tumbling to the floor. Erin broke into a fit of giggles as she rolled around on the ground, and Cyan groaned as he rubbed at his aching neck. "Never mind... ow..."

"Sorry, Cyan, heehee," Erin apologized, trying to stifle her laughter. As her partner rose to his feet, she removed her satchel from her waist, opening it up fully and pulling out a small blue berry. Walking over to Cyan, she squatted down and held out the fruit. "Hehehere you go, open wide!"

Cyan gave her an unamused stare and held out his hand. "Jus' gimme th'berry."

"You're no fun sometimes!" Erin scrunched up her face in a huff, passing the berry to Cyan and closing up her bag. The Samurott devoured the healing fruit in a single bite, and he sighed as his ache began to fade away.

"Thanks for getting' us outta trouble, Erin," He reached over and lightly squeezed her shoulder, and Erin smiled happily, hiding her face in her sleeves. As the cavern began to fog up, a line of black smoke caught Cyan's attention, and he scanned his head from one end of the ceiling to the other. "But did'ja have t'use a smoke ball? It's drifted all th'way over here."

"Huh?" Erin noticed the cloud up above her head, blinking in surprise. "But the smoke from the orb was lighter-colored than that!"

"It was...?" Cyan stroked his mustache. "But if this isn'from th'smoke ball, then..."

I turned a corner and gasped in surprise, holding out my paws as Rose and I dug our heels into the clay, skidding to a stop just before knocking the two over. Erin hopped to her feet, running over and dragging the two of us into a hug. "Bill! Rose!"

"Erin!" Rose yelped as the pink mink ruffled her headfur. "Are you two all right?

"Us? We're jus' fine," Cyan drawled, flicking my ear. I lightly punched his chest in return. "What 'bout you? We heard you got captured, how'd ya escape?"

"Will you two just shut up and get-" Hermit popped his head out of the treasure bag to berate us again, only stopping himself when he saw Cyan and Erin. "You two!? You're here?"

Cyan's eyes darkened, and he aimed his helmet's horn at the Farfetch'd, who sank lower into the bag. Erin, for once, shared a similar angry expression. "You big fat liar bird! How could you be so mean to us like that?"

"You've gotta lotta fessin' up t'do, Hermit," Cyan said, reaching for one of his seamitars, but Rose stepped in.

"Cyan, Hermit, there's no time to argue right now!" The Ninetales explained hastily, and I turned to look at where we'd come from – the fire was quickly spreading along the ramshackle fences, eating away at the breathable air. Cyan and Erin seemed to notice, their eyes widening in shock. "We've got to get to the end of the dungeon before we all suffocate!"

Cyan nodded resolutely, reaching over to Erin and hoisting her onto his back. "Su'prise, su'prise, that's where we an' Tangela were headed, too."

A loud, discordant screech came from far off down the passageway, and I pointed ahead of us at the barely-visible end of the passage. "If that's any indication, everyone's moving in that direction. C'mon, we can get there first if we move it!"

We made tracks, uprooting hardened bits of clay from the force of our movement. The sound of a stampede of Pokemon drew nearer and nearer as the lights the end of the tunnel started to brighten. The walls changed from gray to a deeper blue color, and I could hear the sound, the oh-so-sweet sound, of water dripping into water, prompting me to take a deep breath and run faster.

We burst into the core of the dungeon, the multicolored crystals shedding their light silently as the four of us slowed to an easy jog. A few paces in front of us were two Tangela and Quagsire, and the gigantic pink gemstone sat between them. Both Pokemon breathed heavily, fatigued from battle, and Tangela was the first to speak up. "Forget about the stupid coin! I'm bringing you and that birdbrain in no matter what!"

"Mine!" Quagsire yelled simply, clinging the coin tightly to his chest, the wound from Hermit's leaf blade attack still looking fresh. I grimaced at the sight and cupped my paws to my mouth.

"Tangela! The gemstone!" I called over to him, and he looked over at me. Quagsire, however, had other plans, and he took the distraction to run over to his opponent and slap him silly. Cyan and Erin aqua jetted past me, smashing headlong into Quagsire and sending them all into the pool of water. Quagsire tried to retaliate, but Cyan quickly drew his seamitars and dug the blades hard into his opponent's arm. Hermit hopped out of the bag as Tangela came to his senses, and both of them were drawn to the flash of gold color that rose in the air.

The amulet coin had been flung out of Quagsire's grasp from one of Erin's throwing stones, and with a tiny sploosh the lucky charm plopped into the water, floating atop the surface. Both the Farfetch'd and the Tangela wordlessly eyed each other and jumped into the pool, flailing about as they swam towards the treasure.

"Didn't he say he didn't care about the coin anymore?" I muttered snarkily to myself. Rose ran past me, throwing her entire body weight against the special gemstone, and I took a step forward... only to trip and fall flat on my face, pinpricks of pain running up my leg. Looking back, I saw clusters of Woopers nipping at my ankles, and I reached forward and began to drag myself over to my partner, who struggled to even move the shining jewel. "Rose! Push!"

"I'm trying!" She replied, straining against the rock. She looked at me out of the corner of her eye and stopped, turning around and charging up an energy ball! "Put your head down!"

I dug my nose into the dank clay as the green sphere whooshed between my ears, and among a medley of abrupt cries I pushed myself to my feet and practically hurled myself against the gemstone, Rose returning to the same task. I felt the dirt, clay and rock holding the stone in place begin to give way, and another round of Woopers clung to my legs. Rose yipped loudly, crying in pain, as a few of the tribal Pokemon began to bite at her tails. The smoke was finally beginning to fill the room, my breath quickening as the oxygen in the room began to lessen.

"Not this time..." I growled through clenched teeth, and Rose nodded through her tears, pushing, shoving, forcing the gemstone to move. Little by little, we could feel it moving. "Just a little... bit... more..."

Click.

Everyone – literally everyone in the room – ceased their movement as the ominous noise echoed throughout the room, only accompanied by the crackling of the wildfire. Slowly, but surely, the floor, then the walls, and then the entire mountain itself, began to rumble violently. Quagsire's jaw dropped, completely taken aback as he stared at Rose and I. For a few seconds, aside from the shaking cavern, there was silence.

"Run away!" Quagsire began to panic, whipping the entire tribe of Woopers into a hysterical frenzy, and the entire group of wild Pokemon made for the darkened, hazy tunnel. Hermit and Tangela continued to struggle for the amulet coin as they waded onto the dry floor, and Cyan and Erin scrambled over to us, the former sheathing his weapons as he stared at us incredulously.

"What th'heck did you two do!?" He yelled. Erin was too busy letting the quake bounce her up and down, and I turned to look at Rose. She gave me a gentle smile, an answer that Cyan wasn't satisfied with. "Don't just smile! What'd you do!?"

"BRACE YOURSELVES!" I ordered as a torrent of water came into sight, and I sucked in a breath, embracing my three companions. The last thing I saw before the tidal wave hit us was Tangela, prying the amulet coin out of Hermit's beak and tucking it safely into the folds of his vines. I smiled as the water swept us off our feet, rapidly churning as it pushed us upwards, spouting into a mighty geyser. Someone screamed in horror. Someone else screamed in excitement. The sun was starting to rise.

* * *

The next thing I knew, I was face-down in searing-hot water, my ear twitching as a voice drifted into it. "Hey, he's finally waking up!"

A few bubbles of air escaped my mouth as I let out a response, the hot spring already making every muscle in my body loosen. So warm... so... hot... hot hot hot-!

My lungs berated me as I swam for the nearest wall, my fur standing on end as my nerves finally noticed the temperature. I bonked my head against damp stone and reached upwards, pulling myself up and out of the spring, collapsing onto the rocky surface. I breathed deeply, taking in gulp after gulp of the sweet, fresh air, and I flopped onto my side as a loud splash soaked me in a fresh coat of hot water. I brought my paw to my mouth, stifling a laugh at the sight.

Woopers were raining from the sky, some landing in the water, while others unluckily fell into the dirt; Quagsire himself was belly-up in the center of the spring, bobbing up and down with each ripple of impact. Tangela was up to his eyes in the sparkling springwater, and Hermit was nowhere to be seen. "Rose? Guys?"

"Behind you, silly!" A paw batted playfully at my aura tassels, and I rose to my feet, shimmying around as I flung stray droplets off of my fur, and I turned. Erin looked away nonchalantly, rocking back and forth on her heels, and Cyan had removed his helmet, firmly patting his ears to shake out any water. Rose shook her head, wearing a weary smile, and I scratched absently at a blush growing on my cheeks. Erin began to hop up and down cheerfully. "We did it! We captured the outlaw!"

"Yeah..." I muttered, and Rose walked up to me, hopping onto her hind legs and nuzzling into my shoulder. I stroked her back affectionately, shooting Cyan and Erin a grin. "I guess we did!"

"Returners!" A new voice came around, and Rose dropped to her feet as an old, armored Pokemon hobbled over to us, his purple scales just barely catching the dawn's early light. "For goodness' sake, you four! What in the world is even going on!?"

"Elder Nidoking..." Rose took charge, stepping over to the elder and bowing respectfully. "We can explain everything, I promise."

"Is that... that Tangela? Ouch!" A Wooper bounced off of Nidoking's back, rolling away as the Drill Pokemon looked, wide-eyed, at the mess that lay before him. "Oorgh... and the outlaw he was hunting... but who are all these other Pokemon?"

"We can answer ya jus' fine, sir," Cyan replied with a curt nod. "But, uh... let's go an' get th'police first, alright?"

And in the midst of the falling fish, the five of us began the short walk to Tiny Town.


	4. Respite! Planning Time in Tiny Town!

"Hawww..." Cyan let out a loud yawn, stumbling forward into the vacant room, and he dumped his backpack in the middle of the floor, letting it hit the floorboards with a dull thud. "I'm beat."

"No kidding," I said, dragging my feet as Rose, Erin and I followed the Samurott into the bedroom. A pair of quilt-covered hay bales sat parallel to the walls, and the early morning sunlight began to pour in through a single window across from the door. Erin wandered past Cyan, who had already removed his helmet and crumpled into one of the empty beds, and with a flourish the pink-furred weasel grabbed a curtain of thick ivy and dragged it across the window, enshrouding the room in a pleasant darkness. Satisfied, Erin slapped her paws together and bounced on top of Cyan, wrestling a bit with the covers before settling down. "Good night, you two."

"Good morning, Bill! Rose!" Erin replied with a breezy snort, aimlessly tossing her pouch and belt through the air and onto the floor, and soon enough both she and Cyan were asleep, snoring loudly. Rose trotted past me, rolling her eyes at the two leather backpacks that sat, lopsided, on the stout wooden planks.

"For goodness' sake..." She muttered, and I walked over, swiping Erin's belt bag as I passed it. Wordlessly, Rose and I pushed the larger bag out of the way, until it sat just under the window. "They could barely stay awake while officer Magnezone and the rest were bringing the Woopers and Hermit in, the least they could do is keep the peace and quiet."

"At least Elder Nidoking was reasonable enough to hear us out," I replied, taking a deep breath, and I walked over to the opposite hay bale, the drowsy atmosphere of the cozy little inn already making it hard to keep my eyes open. "We should rest here for the day, and plan out how we're going to get to Sky Peak. Getting from Treasure Town to here was the easy part."

"We're really doing this, aren't we? We're finally going to meet Darkrai, after all this time..." Rose hopped into the bed, and I slipped the treasure bag off of my shoulders, moving neatly under the quilt as the fox looked at me, expecting an answer to her statement. I snuggled up to her and nestled my head next to hers, and she sighed softly, almost inaudibly in comparison to our companions' noises. We could hear a hustle and bustle downstairs, Tiny Town finally beginning to wake up for the day. "At least, if we get any sleep first."

"Heh," I barked out a laugh, ruffling Rose's headfur. "Just cover your ears."

"Easier said than done," She curled her tails over the two of us, purring as her inner body heat rose to a comfortable warmth. She let out a silent yawn, fidgeting a bit before settling into her spot. "Good morning, Bill."

I closed my eyes, pulling the Ninetales a little closer. "Sleep tight, Rose."

I fell into a peaceful unconsciousness. Time passed dreamlessly, and the morning was restful.

* * *

**Respite! Planning Time in Tiny Town!**

* * *

_The next morning... er, afternoon..._

Something peeled my eyelid open. It was pink.

"HEY, WAKE UP!" Erin yelled at Rose and I, the loud shout quickly rousting us from our slumber, and I yelped in pain as the Mienshao let go of me, my eye slapping shut. I rubbed at my face, grumbling in mild pain, but before I could scold the younger girl she scampered out of the room, letting the door swing on its hinges as her footsteps pounded down the stairs and into the heart of the inn. Swinging my legs forward, I stood up, stretching out my joints.

"Is it your turn to tell her off or is it mine?" I asked Rose, who was carefully pulling the quilt over the hay bale. "I forget."

"Who cares," Rose replied, slightly irritable as a result of the rude awakening, and she glanced at the window, which had been uncovered to let in the early afternoon sun. "Looks like we slept for a while."

"Are you feeling any better?" I asked, looking at the fox, and I reached over and tugged lightly on her scarf. It held firm against her fur, and she gave me a reassuring smile.

"I'm fine, Bill," She said, nodding. Her legs wobbled a bit, and I kept a straight face. "I'm a little tired, but I'm feeling better."

"Oi, you two." Cyan pushed the door open with his helmet, peeking inside. "Erin's getting' antsy, she doesn't wanna start eatin' without you two. Get a move on already!"

Rose and I followed him out the door and down into the inn's lower floor, a cool draft hitting us head-on from an open window. Erin bounced in her seat near a round table, and the three of us lounged around in the other empty seats. The inn was surprisingly crowded (for a given value of crowded), with a few other groups of Pokemon sitting elsewhere in the room. Dishes clinked and fires burned, and the scent of baked goods and other cooking hung heavy in the air.

"Always nice to know that this place'll smell nice," I chuckled, and Cyan nodded in agreement.

"No kiddin'. This place has good eats," He said, taking off his helmet and setting it at his side, his two tiny ears wiggling as they reveled in their freedom from the heavy armor. "I didn't see miz Blossom anywhere, though."

"Did somebody call ma name, SLURP?" A throaty voice, along with a lashing of a tongue, came from nearby, and our heads turned to look at the navy-scaled Kecleon that walked through the door to outside, a breadbasket balanced on her head. Her grey frills shook as she spoke, a fragrant flower sticking out of a headband she wore. "It's good ta see ya, Team ReturnerSLURP!"

"Uwah!" Cyan recoiled in surprise, and Erin, Rose and I stifled a round of chuckles at his expense. "Don't sneak up on us like that!"

"Sorry ta disappoint ya, sqURP," Blossom let out a hearty bellow and slammed her breadbasket hard onto the table. A thin trail of steam escaped from the wrappings. "But if anything, yer the ones who snuck up on me, SLURP!"

"We were hoping to get here sometime yesterday," Rose started to explain. "But, ah... we got a little sidetracked."

"SLURP, I know, with tha outlaw and tha freelance bounty huntaw, right?" Blossom folded her arms smartly, and she shimmied her head around wildly, the flower dropping pollen on the floor. "Don't worry about it, ya hear? News travels fast in a town as small as this one, especially if it involves a buncha Pokemon falling from tha sky, SLURP!"

"Heeheehee!" Erin rocked back and forth in her chair, her sleeves whooshing through the air as she simulated the fall with her paws. "It was fun! I didn't know there was even something like that in the Waterfall Cave!"

"It's been a while since we've really had to even think about it ourselves," I said, glancing over at Rose, who nodded in affirmation. "We've never really needed to delve that deeply into the cavern in... years."

"Ey, Bloss!" A Pokemon called out to the blue Kecleon from across the room, and our heads turned to look. "Mind if we order another round of drinks?"

"Not at all, not at all, SLURP!" Blossom shot back, standing on her toes to make her voice heard. She turned to us, a warm smile on her face. "Here, these are tha kind of loaves ya like, I know. Call me when you're finished?"

"Go ahead, Blossom," Rose said, winking cheerfully at the older lady. "Maybe if you can get miss Jynx to cover for you, we can catch up."

I reached over and dug my paw into the basket, my fur growing warm as I grasped a fresh hunk of bread, and I pulled it out to look it over, spying tiny strings of an strikingly-pink fruit that dotted the hard, brown crust. I passed it to Erin, who took a large bite out, humming a tune to herself as she chewed away. Cyan sighed and shook his head, yanking the basket over to him and unfurling the fabric inside, revealing a small hoard of picture-perfect pastries. His eyes lit up at the sight of the food, donning a toothy, almost predatory, smile. "Wouldja look at that!"

Rose and I both leaned forward, taking a peek at the generous helping, and I scooped up a glazed scone before tugging the bundle away from the hungry Samurott, passing the basket to Rose. The Ninetales gave the water type a knowing look. "Don't even think about it, buster."

Cyan let out a quiet grumble to himself, and I laughed, kicking back and crossing my legs. I took a large bite of my treat, the warm, astoundingly-sweet taste of a watmel berry sent shocks through my teeth. I stuck my paw into my mouth, rubbing at my jaw until the feeling subsided, and immediately took another bite of the pastry. It was entirely worth it.

"So what exactly are we doin' now?" Cyan asked, a couple crumbs of food flying out of his mouth. "I've still got barely any idea 'bout what we're supposed t'be goin' t'Sky Peak for."

"We told you before, when you asked about the letter, remember?" Rose said, taking a nibble of a yache-jelly-filled roll and then wiping her nose daintily on her scarf. "The Shaymin living at the base of the mountain apparently saw Darkrai around there, and we're going to go investigate."

"Well yeah, y'told us that," Cyan replied, raising his voice a bit amid the chatter of the other patrons. "But I still don't understand why we're the ones who hafta go get him."

I gulped down a part of my scone, dusting off my paws as I let the doughy food sit atop the table, and I took a deep breath, trying to focus despite the sugar running through my veins. "Well, you and Erin already know a little bit about Darkrai, right? Most Pokemon now seem to, given that it's been four whole years since we had to deal with him."

"Ooh, yeah, that's such a great story! Darkrai tried to take over the world, and then you two stopped him, and now he can't cause trouble ever again!" Erin chimed in, taking a break from digging a small crater into her payapa bread, and as she stopped speaking she hid her face in her sleeves, mildly embarrassed from her outburst. "Um... at least, I think that's how it went, right?"

"That's the long and short of it, I suppose," I quipped dryly, drumming my paws on the tabletop. "Not entirely right, but not wrong, either."

"Y'never did tell us 'bout what happened with him," Cyan said with a rough cough, trying to clear his throat. After a brief pause, he continued. "For someone who saved th'world twice before, you're both kinda quiet 'bout th'whole thing."

"It's not really something we talk about anymore, Cyan," Rose replied thoughtfully. "Like Bill said, it's been three years since we last saw Darkrai. It's been four since we saved the planet from paralysis and stopped the future from going bad."

"Technically stopped the present from going bad, by now," I pointed out with a grin, and Rose nodded in agreement. "Neither of us really like focusing on the fact that we saved the world. It's great and everything, but so did... who was it again, Rose? Over on the northern continent?"

"Team Shockseed?" She tossed out, and I gave a short nod. "Right, they saved the world from that meteor twenty or twenty-five years ago, but nowadays they mostly just do rescue missions."

"Exactly." I took a quick nip of scone. "We're just the same way, y'know? We saved the world, and now we're explorers doing plain old jobs. Simple as that."

"But, um, Bill? Rose?" Erin raised a paw in confusion, and the cream-furred fox gestured warmly at her. "If we're searching for mister Darkrai, then we're not doing a plain old job right now, right? This is some big, top-secret mission, but Cyan and I don't know anything about it!"

"It's..." I opened my mouth to answer, but the words vanished on the tip of my tongue, and I sheepishly shut my jaw. Rose was similarly taken aback, and Cyan folded his arms gruffly.

"That's what I was sayin'," The Samurott told us, looking both of us in the eye. "We need y'to tell us 'bout what exactly happened with Darkrai an' why we're goin' t'get him now. We're y'teammates now, remember?"

Rose was hesitant, furrowing her brow as her mind raced, but I nodded, catching the attention of all three other Pokemon. "You're right, you two."

"B-Bill?" Rose stuttered, her headfur falling in front of her face. "Are you sure?"

I chuckled, pinching the ponytail and affectionately tousling it as I moved it back behind her ears. Her ruby red eyes were bright with concern, and I gently rubbed at her ear. "If we're really gonna do this, we need to get our facts straight, right?"

"Yeah! We're gonna get that mean old guy and bring him in for good this time, right?" Erin flung a few play-punches, nearly flinging her payapa bread across the table. With the moment ruined, Rose peered around the inn, which was beginning to thin out, and she spotted Blossom hard at work across the bar, mixing a strange-looking liquid.

"Hey, Blossom!" She called, and the blue Kecleon looked over at her, waving. I hopped out of my chair, moving over to Cyan's large backpack and pulling out a leather purse, counting the coins held within. "We're gonna take a quick spin around town; see if you can find us if you catch a break?"

"That sounds fine, SLURP!" Blossom nodded at us, not noticing some pollen land in the drink. "See ya later, ya four!"

As I slapped down a few coins to pay for the meal, Erin cocked her head in confusion. "Wait, where are we going? I thought we were gonna talk about Darkrai!"

"We are, you goofball," Rose chuckled, biting lightly on her sleeve to get her out of her chair. Cyan had donned his helmet and was already headed for the exit. "C'mon. We can talk while we walk."

The mid-afternoon light caught the domed houses of the town, and the local villagers mingled with passing explorers as the wind picked up, a line of wavy clouds blowing in from the southeast. Far off on the horizon I could pick out the craggy, coastal cliffs that wound their way across the land; one particularly tall mountain beyond them had a ring of wispy puffs circling around its tip. Deftly dodging out of the way of a couple kids playing a game of tag, I reached up to keep the sun out of my eyes, peering intently at Sky Peak. A dirt path, fringed by stakes, wound its way through the town square and out to the hot spring, and the four of us began walking along the trail, simply enjoying the company.

"So..." Cyan broke the silence, grasping a pawful of thin dirt and letting it blow away in the breeze. "Why exactly are we goin' to meet up with someone who once tried t'take over th'world?"

"Way to put it bluntly, Cyan," I snickered, putting my paws behind my head. Rose let out a sigh of frustration, digging her claws into the trail.

"It's... more complicated to explain than either you or Erin realize," She spoke carefully, her voice ringing through the air like a clear bell. "But I can explain a little bit. It was a few months after we had graduated from the guild and done a few explorations on our own. Bill had been having dreams about a Pokemon named Cresselia who said that he was creating distortions in space. We were gonna investigate the issue, but..."

"Palkia kidnapped us the night before," I finished, the dragon god of space showing up clearly in my mind's eye. "But before we could get some answers out of him and Cresselia, another one appeared! The one Palkia had been involved with was Darkrai under disguise!"

"Mmhm," Rose grunted. "He told us that he was the one who had been making distortions in space, and had been trying all along to get rid of the two of us, since we had stopped his original plan of stopping time and paralyzing the planet."

"He was behind both th'Temporal an' the Spatial Crisises?" Cyan exclaimed, bewildered. "That's... a li'l hard t'believe, honestly."

"He also had tried to get us to, uh, 'make ourselves disappear' at one point too," I added in casually. Rose nodded, if only slightly, trying to keep the memory buried. "Darkrai challenged us to a duel and fled to the mystery dungeon in the Dark Crater, over on the Volcanic Island, and we went along with it, to try and put an end to everything."

Cyan and Erin seemed to hang onto every word, enthralled by the tale. It was a little amusing. Rose continued. "We were able to make it through the crater and find Darkrai, but when he finally began the duel, he summoned a gang of wild Pokemon to help him-"

"What!?" Erin blurted out, stomping her feet. "Ooh, that's not fair!"

"I don't think we ever said anything about fairness, kiddo." I reached over and bopped the back of her head, and she lightly fluffed her sleeves in my face in return. "We were fighting a legendary Pokemon who could put others into endless nightmares. The gang of wild Pokemon was really just adding insult to injury, if you ask me."

"But that's just mean, then!" Erin stated the clearly obvious. "I'm gonna give this mister Darkrai a piece of my mind when we meet up wi-"

"No." Rose said firmly, and Erin recoiled, her eyes wide. "No, Erin, you absolutely will not do that, and for a very, very good reason."

"Yeah, I don't think that'd be a good idea either," I nodded, putting a little more weight to my steps. The hustle and bustle of Tiny Town sounded far away now, and the pleasant hiss of super-heated water was beginning to overtake it. "We weren't exactly done explaining, either, but I guess if you've heard enough..."

"Bill, jus' get on with it," Cyan replied, and Erin huffily climbed up onto his back, turning her head away from us. "Y'obviously won th'duel with Darkrai, so what happened next?"

"He tried to escape," Rose interrupted before I could say anything. "He created a dimensional hole and was planning to just warp away before we could finish him off."

"But?" Cyan immediately said, the logical part of his brain turning. I tapped my paw against his seamitar armor.

"But Palkia just conveniently happened to pop by, and broke the dimensional hole while Darkrai was still warping around inside of it. Got any idea what that means, wiseguy?"

I took more enjoyment than I probably should have at watching Cyan squirm as he racked his brain for an answer. It was enough enough to make Erin return to her usual cheery self. "Eh... I feel like I should know what this's supposed t'mean, but I can't think of it."

"It's the same thing that happened to Bill when he first came here from the dark future," Rose answered, moving a little closer to me and wrapping a tail around my waist. "Darkrai attacked him when Bill was time-traveling here, and then Bill lost his memory. So Darkrai was attacked while he was trying to travel, so..."

Erin let out a little gasp, and Cyan stopped walking. Rose and I took a few more paces before we noticed that they had stopped. "So Darkrai has..."

"Heeeeeeeeeeey!"

We looked behind us to see Blossom running down the path, her tail curling and uncurling wildly as her tiny feet plodded through the dirt. She slowed her pace as she finally reached us, leaning forward and resting her hands against her knees, breathing heavily. "Hold up... hold up, ya hear, SLURP?"

"I'm glad you were able to find us, Blossom," Rose stepped forward, nodding amicably towards her friend. "Was Jynx able to take over for a little bit?"

"Yah, the bar's pretty much cleared out 'til evening, so I'm free, SLURP. Glad I found ya early!" As she caught her breath, she shook her head, the flower in her headband wilting a bit in the increasingly-warm sun. "Were ya headed to the hot spring, SLURP?"

"Looks like we were." I shrugged. "You want to come along with?"

"Yeah, c'mon, c'mon, miss Blossom, let's have a race!" Erin hopped off of Cyan's back and ran off. "Last one there's a sucker for a grime trap!"

As the Mienshao ran off, we started to move again, the sound of steam growing louder and louder. Cyan took point, while Blossom kept stride with Rose and I. The blue lizard let out a loud, hearty laugh. "Always the youngun, huh? What have ya four been up to recently, SLURP? Haven't seen ya for a while!"

"Yeah, it's been some time since we've come around here, hasn't it?" Rose remarked, looking thoughtfully to the sky. "Did the rest of the guild come by? They're on their expedition to the Midnight Forest right now."

"SLURP, yah, actually, they did!" Blossom nodded. "They didn't stay for long, but they were here maybe just last week! Are you passing through to catch up with 'em, SLURP?"

"Not exactly, no," I replied under my breath, kicking a small rock down the path. "We're on our way to Sky Peak, for a job."

"Really?" Blossom let out a low whistle, gesturing towards the mountain in the distance. "Sky Peak, all the way over there, SLURP? Yah've got yer work cut out for ya, huh?"

"I wouldn't say that, miz Blossom," Cyan answered, turning around and walking backwards to look at the Kecleon. The path began to slope upwards, a hill separating us from the hot spring. "I doubt it'll take that long t'get t'Sky Peak. There's th'path through th'Craggy Coast, right? That'll get us there in no time."

"I thought of that at first, but..." I rubbed at my nose in mild embarrassment. "Well, given that our little jaunt in the Waterfall Cave pretty much emptied out the treasure bag, and given how unstable those cliffs have gotten..."

"Ah yeah," Cyan briefly lifted his helmet to scratch an itch on his ears. "I forgot 'bout th'landslides from las' year an' how Mount Horn nearly collapsed on itself."

"Ya'll are strapped fer stuff, SLURP?"

"Not 'xactly, Erin's got her medical stuff an' her throwin' stones, an' I've got th'supplies for makin' meals an' settin' up camp," Cyan said, patting his hiking pack. "But Bill an' Rose got int'a li'l predicament yesterday, an' now we're kinda outta food, an' we used what li'l cash I carry 'round t'pay for th'inn an' lunch."

As he finished speaking, the four of us reached the crest of the hill, spying the brightly-shimmering spring down at the end of the trail. If I squinted, I could see Erin already soaking herself in the mineral-rich water, and Cyan let himself slide down the other half of the hill, quickly reaching the pool himself. Blossom tapped her fist against her headband. "So ya two are strapped fer stuff, SLURP?"

"Yeah, I suppose you could say that," Rose answered plainly, sucking in a breath and tensing up as she dipped her paws into the water. Blossom, on the other hand, climbed up to the edge of the pool and leaped inside, making a light splash as she collided with the surface of the water. I winced as a couple large droplets hit my shoulder, and Erin giggled at the energetic Pokemon, swimming around playfully in the water.

"I guess I can imagine why ya'll are a little hesitant to go mountain-climbing if ya lost all ya supplies, SLURP." Blossom emerged from the depths of the hot spring, shaking her head. Her headband and flower seemed to wiggle with minds of their own as they drank deeply of the water. "How are ya gonna get what ya need?"

"Well, I was hoping that we could try and restock here," Rose eased herself into the spring, her tails floating buoyantly on the water as she paddled over to the edge of the stone circle. "But we don't have much money left, and we don't know how much time we have until... our client is unavailable, so we can't afford to really waste time."

Blossom yawned, extending her tongue to its full length. "SLUUUUURP. Why not just take tha other way around the mountains, huh?"

"The other way... what?" I stumbled on my words in confusion, sinking my leg knee-deep into the water. The heat cooked the limb until it finally gave up and relaxed, and I swung around to walk deeper in. "You mean that path through the Labyrinth Cave and across Mount Travail? But that could take... half a week, probably longer. The path through Craggy Coast and across Mount Horn would be much faster, even though-"

"It'd be way, way more dangerous?" Blossom finished for me, giving me a skeptical look. "How much time do ya think ya'll'd be wasting if ya tried to get through that place right now, SLURP? No matter how good of explorers ya'll are, tha coast's gotten so dangerous that ya'll'd be more SLURPly to get trapped inside the mountain!"

"But..." I sighed in frustration, sitting down and letting the water cover all but my head, which worked wonders on helping me try to clear my thoughts. "Ugh... I guess you've got a point. I remember having to help rescue Pokemon that got trapped during the first big avalanche."

"It was horrible..." Rose shivered, her voice somber. "I... you're right, Blossom. We can't risk something like that happening to us."

"Hey now, ya didn't let me finish speaking, SLURP." Blossom smiled knowingly, wagging a finger at us, and we cleared the memory of Mount Horn away, focusing on the Kecleon. "To get to tha Labyrinth Cave, ya'll'd have to pass through tha Oran Forest and tha Apple Woods, right?"

Rose perked up. "You're right! We could just head through the wild orchards and pick our fill there! Cyan, quick, get our map out!"

The Samurott, who had thankfully not gone into the spring, opened up one of the flaps of his backpack, reaching inside and pulling out a worn scroll that was bound with a bright red string. Pulling the string, Cyan unfurled the old map, the paper crinkling at the softest touch. Blossom, Rose and I moved over to the map, looking down at the lay of the land. Erin continued to float around, not paying attention to our musing. The Kecleon drew an arm out of the water, shaking it wildly to dry it off, and slammed a finger down on a small forest north of where the town was marked on the map.

"Right here, ya SLURP?" She traced a path through the forest and across the pictured mountainside, around and back down to the Shaymin Village and Sky Peak. "If ya'll are serious about getting to Sky Peak tha way ya are right now, this way should give you the least amount of trouble, SLURP."

"Hm." I furrowed my brow. "I still don't know about this... but I guess it's better than not going at all. Hopefully we can get there in time."

"What exactly are ya doing there, anyway, SLURP?" Blossom asked, looking at me with questioning eyes. "I know ya used ta go there during the winters, but ya said ya'll were on a job, right? Some client, SLURP?"

Rose and I looked at each other briefly, mulling the question over, and Erin swam up and out of the pool, her fur soaking wet as she let a trail of pawprints moving towards Cyan. She grabbed the Samurott's helmet, yanking him towards the pool. "Cyaaan, c'mon! You haven't even gotten in yet!"

"Woah, hey, Erin, wai-" Cyan yelped, and Rose, Blossom and I quickly moved out of the way of the two Pokemon, who tripped over the rocks and piled into the hot spring, sending another wave of water on top of all of us. As the pair surfaced, Blossom let out a loud peal of laughter, her voice ringing through the air.

"Ya two! Heck, ya four! Ya'll are great, ya know that?" She put a hand on her hip, adjusting her headband and flower with the other. "Forget about my question, ya hear? Why don't we all just relax while ya'll are still here?"

"I..." Rose began, and I reached over and rubbed at her neck. She smiled, shaking her head. "If you're alright with that, Blossom, then we'll drop the subject."

"Don't worry about it, Rose," The Kecleon nodded stoutly, shooting us a grin. "Besides, I haven't told ya about my side about how life's been!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Erin piped up cheerfully, picking herself up and waded over to the older lizard. Cyan grumpily rolled back onto his feet, stomping over and taking a seat next to Erin. "Tell us about how Tiny Town's been!"

"Yeah, that'd be nice to hear about," Rose agreed, paddling over to her friend, and I followed her, sitting down in the water and poking idly at her nine bobbing tails. "It's been a while, so I bet you've got plenty to tell, huh?"

"Ya, lemme think." Blossom thought for a moment. "Oh! Did ya hear about tha birthday feast that we had to set up for Elder Nidoking a couple weeks ago, SLURP? Oh that was a disaster and a half..."

* * *

"Fern! Mint! Where are you?"

The smooth call quickly brought the two Shaymin running at full pelt, tripping over their feet as they tried to skid to a stop. Fern raised his head shakily, looking up at the speaker. "Y-yes, Sage, sir?"

A much older Pokemon stared firmly up at the two Sky Forme Shaymin, his green fur washed out and his flowers looking wilted, their age only masked by the orange light of the sunset. Time had not been kind to him. "We have heard back from Team Returners that they are going to investigate your... supposed... sighting of Darkrai."

"What!?" Mint shoved Fern out of the way, her eyes wide. "Sir, Team Returners is coming here!?"

"I believe I just said that, Mint," Sage glared at her, and the younger Shaymin looked away huffily. "And because of that, I'm putting you two to work before they get here!"

"Work?" Fern groaned, rising to his feet and dusting off his scarf-like petal. "W-what kind of work... um, sir?"

"I still don't believe that you just happened to see a formerly-dangerous, and legendary, Pokemon while out on gathering duty," Sage bluntly stated, and his two charges looked at the grass tentatively. "Especially given that you just happened to not come back with any Gracideas in the first place!"

"You think we're making it up?" Mint shouted, gritting her teeth angrily. "It's true! We saw him, I swear it!"

"We... w-we did see him, sir..." Fern added quietly, looking away at a particularly interesting tree. "We just..."

"Enough!" Sage slammed his paw down, though it didn't have quite the kind of impact he wanted it to, either physically or emotionally. "Enough. You two will be going back up to the top of Sky Peak and keeping Darkrai right here where he is!"

"W-" Mint cut herself off. "Are you crazy!?"

"No, and I think that you are!" Sage replied harshly, and the two younger Pokemon recoiled at the insult. Fern let out a sniffle. "If you really are telling the truth, and a legendary Pokemon just happens to be up there, then you're going to make sure he doesn't leave! If he's gone and Team Returners gets here..."

He trailed off, turning a blind eye to the tears that were leaking out of Fern's eyes. Mint walked over to her friend, patting him on the back. "That would be very bad. Am I understood!"

"Sage..." Mint growed under her breath, but Fern nodded.

"Yes... s-sir."

"Good!" Sage let out a snort, turning around. "Now get out of here! And gather some more Gracideas, while you're at it!"

The old Pokemon left the two Shaymin alone, stars winking up above in the sky.


	5. Contact! A Storm to Bring Together!

"Hellllllllllooooooooo? Where aaaaare yoooou?" Mint yelled at the top of her lungs, the cry echoing around the grassy field, disrupting the relaxing noise of running water and wind rustling the trees. Colorful patches of flowers dotted the peak, dancing in the warm sun as the two Shaymin wandered aimlessly around the mountain. Fern ducked his head into the flowers on occasion, sniffing around for any Gracideas hiding within their lesser brethren. Mint swooped into the air, circling around before returning to her friend's side, causing him to jump. "Fern, c'mon! Quit playing in the grass and help me look for Darkrai!"

"Mint... um," Fern took one more deep whiff of the flower patch before turning his head, looking at Mint. She hopped up and down impatiently, bouncing on the tips of her toes. "But Sage wanted us to..."

"I don't care what that... that..." Mint let out a disgruntled groan of anger, taking to the sky and spinning a few loops. Fern returned to his work, slowly making his way through the fields, his nose buried in the soft flora. "I don't care what he said, okay, Fern? Forget that old idiot and help me!"

"Uff..." Fern sighed, looking away as he collected his thoughts. "But Mint, what if he's already gone?"

"He can't be gone, it takes way longer than that for anyone to get up the mountain without flying!" Mint replied, flying higher and higher away as she picked up speed, her friend and the field blurring into dots as she passed the clouds that circled the very top of the grand mountain. As she scanned her eyes from one end of the landscape to the other, her eyes widened as she noticed a clump of threatening, gray clouds southwest of the peak, drawing ever nearer as they rode on gusts of wind. "Especially not if he's gonna have to go through that!"

"What?" Fern strained to be heard, and Mint zoomed back to the ground, wincing as she landed hard in the field of flowers. "Mint, you were... um, y-you were too high, I couldn't-"

"Stuff it, Fern!" Mint moved behind the other Shaymin and started shoving him along. Fern gulped audibly as they began to swiftly skid through the dirt. "There's a storm headed this way, and we're gonna find Darkrai before we get stuck in it, got it?"

"A s-storm?" Fern stuttered, beginning to shiver anxiously. "H-how bad of one... um, M-Mint?"

"Bad bad," Mint answered shortly, gritting her teeth as she pushed her friend harder, quickening their pace. The field became a blur as they rushed through the mountainside. "Bad enough to keep us both from-"

"Mint, wait! Slow down!" Fern cried out, grabbing fruitlessly at the earth below his feet as he tried to stop himself. "Miiiiiiiiint!"

"What?" The Shaymin looked up, and her heart skipped a beat as a tower of thick brown bark came into sight. "What!"

The duo slammed hard into a thick, healthy tree, the impact sending them tumbling over its roots and into a circle of Gracideas. Mint returned to her senses as the touch of the special pink flowers broke her fall, and she hopped to her feet, scampering over to Fern, who wriggled around in the overgrowth, dazed and confused as his brain tried to catch up with him. "Uugh... Mint... the t-tree..."

"Yeah, yeah." Mint nodded, picking her friend up and brushing bits of loam off of his fur. "S-sorry, Fern. Are you okay?"

"I think..." Fern closed his eyes and stood still, his dizziness subsiding as he righted himself. "I think... no, I know I saw-"

"Hello again." Someone interrupted.

The two Shaymin froze in place as they heard the deep, gravelly voice, and Fern tried to find the speaker out of the corner of his eyes. Where... where was he? "Are you... are y-you talking to us, mister?"

Mint gasped lightly as she felt a gentle pair of hands slip a basket over her head, letting it hang from her neck. She looked down; it was full of Gracideas – recently-picked. Icy blue eyes looked somberly at her as Darkrai squatted down to her level, his star-pattered cloak ruffling in the wind. "I believe that these are yours, correct?"

* * *

**Contact! A Storm to Bring Together!**

* * *

For a time, there was silence.

The tall figure stood firmly against the wind, watching the two Shaymin as they slowly fidgeted under his gaze, clearly anxious to a large degree. Mint looked down into the basket of flowers, counting them in her head, and Fern cleared his throat awkwardly, looking up at the legendary Pokemon.

"Um..." The boy stopped mid-sentence, trying hard to look as inconspicuous as possible. "T-thank you... uh, sir."

Darkrai stood silently, blinking as Mint stopped nodding, concluding her counting. "...you are... welcome."

He turned around and strode back over to the tree, leaning against the trunk and closing his eyes as he began to rest. The two Shaymin stared after him, unsure of what to do next, and Mint leaned in close to her friend's ear.

"It's all of the Gracideas we gathered the other day, Fern," She whispered hurriedly. "Heck, I can't even tell if they're the ones from before or if he picked them fresh just today!"

"R-really?" Fern asked in surprise, and he gently took the basket off of his friend, drinking in the scent of the flowers of gratitude. Mint ducked her head in response, the itchy weaving brushing through her fur. "You're... you're right, I can't tell either. Wow..."

A strong breeze blew in from the south, the storm front sending a chill across the peak as a cloud drifted in front of the sun, and the pair of Pokemon shivered as they were doused in shade. Mint made a rolling movement with her head, eying her timid companion as she gestured towards Darkrai, and Fern cocked his head in confusion. Mint frowned, shaking her head harder at Darkrai, and understanding dawned in Fern's eyes before being quickly replaced by anxiety.

"Ohh... u-uh," Fern mumbled, his legs trembling. "No, Mint, I-I don't think I could do that."

"You have to!" Mint replied, trying to keep her voice as low as she could, and she stomped her paw in the grass for emphasis. "You're the one who thanked him, you go talk to him!"

"B-but..." Fern said shakily, looking away as he fiddled with a few blades of grass. "But you're the one he gave the basket to, r-right? Shouldn't you thank h-him... too?"

"What!?" Mint yelled, though it was more of a quiet statement than a yell, and she leaned backwards, reeling. "Me? A-are you crazy? I couldn't talk to... to him!"

"But I already talked to him, Mint." Fern softly sat down in the middle of the field, looking at his feet shyly. "Please? Y-you go talk to him?"

"Rrrrff, fine!" Mint whispered irritably, and Fern made an incomprehensible noise in response. Turning around and taking a few bold steps forward, she held her head high and called out. "Hey! Big guy!"

The legendary Pokemon didn't seem to react, his arms laying peacefully in the lap of his cloak as he continued to relax against the thick trunk. Mint halted, her effort seemingly pointless, and she looked over her shoulder at Fern, who simply looked at her from his spot in the field. Grumbling under her breath, she returned her focus to Darkrai, taking another few tentative steps over to the tree. "Hey! Did you hear me?"

There was still no noticeable response, and Mint jumped up huffily, flying right next to the dark type and taking a deep breath before screaming at the top of her lungs, shaking the boughs of the tree. "HEY! DON'T JUST IGNORE ME!"

"Why do you stay?" Darkrai opened one eye halfway, gazing hard at the little Shaymin who spoke to him, and Mint dropped to the ground when she realized how close she was. However, the question made her raise an eyebrow, and it was enough of a distraction to help her find her voice again.

"Uh?" The girl's mind raced in a panic as she tried to come up with a cover story. "I, uh, hm, I didn't say thanks!"

Mint could see out of the corner of her vision that Fern had gotten up, the flower basket around his neck, and had started walking towards the two of them. Darkrai closed his eye again, letting out a low, long hum, thinking hard about the answer he had received. Mint swallowed, her throat feeling rather dry and scratchy, and the sun began to come out from behind the cloud that had hidden it, dappling the underside of the tree with small sunbeams. "Uh... so, thank you!"

"I believe your shy young friend already thanked me," Darkrai started, clasping his hands together. It might have been a trick of the light, but Mint could have sworn the pattern of the stars on his cloak had changed. "But you are also welcome."

Another silence, this one somewhat more comfortable, settled over the mountaintop, the two Shaymin sitting down a few paces away from Darkrai, who returned to his meditation, apparently satisfied. A couple twigs twirled down from the top of the tree, catching the current of the wind and zooming out towards the vast horizon.

"S-so..." Mint stuttered in a failed attempt to keep her cool. "A-are you here on a vacation or something?"

Darkrai turned his head to stare at his two newfound guests, his brow furrowed in contemplation. "...Why do you wish to know?"

Fern seemed taken aback by the curt reply, but Mint picked up the slack, feeling her confidence grow as the muscles in her back loosened, the tension draining away bit by bit. "Well, we don't normally see anyone up here! A few years ago explorers would spend a few days climbing up to the top, but we rarely have visitors to Sky Peak nowadays."

"Sky... Peak?" Darkrai said methodically, sitting up a little straighter as he rolled the name around in his head. "Is that the name of this place?"

"The name of- what!?" Mint yelped incredulously, startling both Fern and Darkrai, and the hot-blooded Shaymin pounced to the other side of the legendary Pokemon, her eyes wide as she hovered a few inches above a root. "How can you not know where you are? Did you hit your head or something?"

Darkrai's eyes seemed to wince in pain, and he turned away from the two small hedgehogs, focusing outwards at the calm, southeastern sea in the distance, and if he squinted Fern could make out what looked like an archipelago beyond the foggy wilderness below. Mint grew impatient waiting for a reply, and she let out a grunt of irritation, flying away to blow off steam.

"Uhm... m-mister?" Fern tapped a paw against Darkrai's shoulder, looking up innocently at the pair of icy blue eyes. They swirled with confusion, unhappiness, panic, as they sank lower and lower into the collar of his cloak. "Don't... don't mind Mint. She can be a h-handful sometimes."

The storm of emotions seemed to subside, softening the legendary Pokemon's gaze, and he reached over and took the shy little hedgehog's paw into his hand. Fern froze in surprise, but tried to keep his fear in check, keeping his eyes on Darkrai. The ghostly white wisps that sprouted from the top of his head caught the breeze, waving ethereally in the wind.

"I... do not remember having a conversation this long before." Darkrai shook the paw softly, but strongly, before letting the little Shaymin drop down. "I am unsure as to what I did to anger her."

"Oh, she's not angry," Fern replied, shaking his head. His red, petal-like scarf brushed up against Darkrai's hand. It tickled. "She just likes to go quickly all the time. She'll probably be back in a few minutes."

Darkrai let out a short 'hmph', looking up at the sky. Mint was nowhere to be found, and a couple thin clouds sped across the blue expanse, heralding the coming of the thunderstorm. Fern ducked his head to let the basket of Gracideas slide off of his neck, and he took one in his mouth, placing it into Darkrai's lap.

"U-um... have you ever heard of Gracideas?" Fern asked, watching as a black, claw-like hand daintily picked up the blooming pink flower, spinning it around to look at it from every side. "They're special... to Shaymin like Mint and I."

"Shaymin..." Darkrai mumbled, staring uneasily at the flower. "Shaymin... is that what you are?"

"Is what I am what?" Fern stumbled over his words, trying to comprehend what he had been asked. "Am I a Shaymin? Um... y-yes, that's what I am. Mint is a Shaymin too. And you're mister Darkrai, right?"

The legendary Pokemon's eyes widened to the size of platters, and he whipped his head around in utter shock. Fern took a few steps back, whimpering quietly as he tried to act small. "How... do you know my name?"

"Uh?" Fern blinked. "Your name... y-you mean Darkrai?"

"Darkrai... yes, that is my name." The eponymous Pokemon nodded slightly. "It... is the only thing I can remember."

"Wh-what?" Fern cried, hopping up and pressing against Darkrai's shoulder. "You mean you... y-you can't remember anything?"

The whirlpool of negativity seemed to return to his eyes, and he looked skyward, averting his gaze from the small hedgehog. Fern quickly realized his folly and stepped away, twiddling his paws as he looked at the dirt, thoroughly embarrassed. "Oh... I'm sorry. I d-didn't mean to sound insensitive."

"You..." Darkrai's voice wavered, the gravelly sound becoming slightly higher in tone. "You and your friend do not avoid me. What do you want?"

"We... w-we don't want anything, mister D-Darkrai," Fern muttered, digging at the dirt absentmindedly. "We just wanted to see if you were still here."

Darkrai's eyes narrowed to slits. "...do you speak the truth?"

Fern nodded, looking the legendary Pokemon straight in his eyes. "I promise."

The two held their gazes, waiting to see who would look away first, the wind picking up again as the cloud cover drifted in front of the sun, engulfing the peak in an eerie shade. A few minutes passed silently before Darkrai returned the nod, looking away. "You... and your friend... are not like the others."

"Um, who are... the others?" Fern trotted a little bit closer to the legendary Pokemon, stepping carefully onto the star-pattered cloak and sitting down. He shuffled a bit before finding a comfy position, and he nestled his head in the silky fabric, watching in fascination. The stars that dotted the clothing really were moving, shifting around like the cloak was made from the night sky itself. "I thought you said that y-you hadn't had a conversation this long before..."

Darkrai let out a slow exhale, choosing his words carefully. "I have been traveling for as long as I can remember... yet you two are the only ones who have not avoided my presence."

"Pokemon avoid you?" Fern felt more surprised than he had expected. "But you don't seem like... a b-bad Pokemon."

"I never met another who knew what my name was," Darkrai continued to speak, clasping his hands together again, the Gracidea held by its stem. "And even if they did know, they wouldn't have told me as such."

"What do you mean by that, mister Darkrai?" Fern turned his head a bit, too settled on top of the cloak to move completely. Darkrai seemed to be in a trance, staring blankly at the pink flower, and Fern let out a sneeze as something drifted past his nose. "Nnf... mister Darkrai?"

"Little one..." Darkrai blinked, reaching over and picking up the flower basket, returning it to its place around Fern's neck. "Aren't you and your friend supposed to be bringing these... Gracideas somewhere?"

"Oh!" Fern's head clicked into gear. "U-um... yeah, Mint and I are supposed to deliver these back to the village at the bottom of Sky Peak... but..."

"Go." Darkrai's voice grew firm, and the legendary Pokemon drew himself up to his full height, dwarfing the little hedgehog as his cloak and wispy head whipped around wildly in the strengthening winds. Fern shrank back as Darkrai pointed a finger away from the tree. "You have your own duty to fulfill. I believe you can and will do so."

"Um... o-okay," Fern sputtered out hesitantly, taking a couple steps away. The sky was beginning to turn very gray as the gusts of wind grew worse, and a low rumble of thunder echoed ominously around the field. Even the patches of flowers themselves seemed afraid, no longer stretching upwards from the thin grass. "Good... goodbye, then. It was n-nice meeting you... Darkrai!"

Fern turned around and began to trot away, his heart suddenly heavy and his big floppy ears growing cold from the dropping temperature, and with each passing step he moved faster and faster, until he was sprinting as fast as he could from the top of the mountain. Darkrai leaned against the side of the tree, trying in vain to smooth out the wrinkles forming in his cloak as he watched the odd visitor depart. He held the Gracidea he had been gifted tightly to keep it from blowing away. "Goodbye... Fern."

"Heeeey! Darkraiiii!"

The dark type looked over his shoulder at the far horizon, another Shaymin rocketing towards him at high speed. Thinking quickly, Darkrai squatted down, hearing the air whoosh past him as Mint dashed just over his head, and he rose one she had passed, folding his arms in mild irritation. "Little Shaymin, you have somewhere to be."

"Yeah, I know, and it's right here to get you!" Mint replied, looking around, and she drooped a bit in the air. "Hey, wait, where's Fern?"

"I sent him away with the flowers," Darkrai answered solemnly, eying the young girl with a knowing look. "You two are supposed to be delivering them to your village, correct?"

"You what!?" Mint screeched, hovering right into the legendary Pokemon's face, and Darkrai stepped backwards and yelped in surprise as he tripped over a tree root that jutted out from the fertile soil. As he groaned in mild pain, Mint landed on top of his lap, stomping a bit to get his attention. "You told him to go back down the mountain in this kind of weather!?"

"What..." Darkrai began, confused. "What is the problem with that?"

"Jeez..." Mint paced in circles on top of the starry cloak, trying to collect her thoughts. "You definitely don't know where you are if you pulled something as stupid as that, huh?"

The frank statement caught Darkrai off-guard, and he shoved the impudent Pokemon off of him, standing up and glaring at Mint, insulted. "E-excuse me?"

"You big idiot!" Mint shot back at him, returning his glare with a fierce glower of her own. "Shaymin can only fly in Sky Forme, and we can't stay in Sky Forme if it's cold out, or if it gets to be nighttime! This storm is bad enough that neither Fern nor I could get back to our village, we'd get so cold that we couldn't fly through it!"

"He has legs," Darkrai pointed out, ignoring the prickle of fear that started to run up his spine. "Can he not simply walk down the mountain?"

"Weren't you listening to me earlier? It takes a few days at the least for anyone to get up the mountain by foot!" Mint yelled, her petal scarf pressed hard against her side from the powerful wind currents. "And there's big, bad, wild Pokemon that live in the mountain, that's why Shaymin fly up here in the first place!"

"...big... bad, wild Pokemon?" Darkrai's felt something stir in the pit of his stomach. It didn't feel good in the slightest. "...how bad?"

"Who cares how bad they are!? Fern's in danger and it's all your fault!" Mint started to rile herself up again, but a couple fat droplets doused her anger, the fluffy green line of fur unable to keep the splattering droplets from reaching her scalp. "Uhh? That was..."

A flash of light split the sky in half, the lightning bolt striking a small outcropping a good ways away, taking both Pokemon by surprise. It was followed by a booming thunderclap that violently crashed through the natural garden. The great tree's branches swung around, buffeted by the gusts, falling water making audible noise against the leaves. Mint let out a grunt of frustration, exacerbated by her inability to fly away again to vent. Darkrai was still, his icy eyes unfocused.

"Uuuuuugh! Forget it, you obviously don't know a thing about how things work around here," Mint recited testily, her patience stretched to its limit as she frowned at the legendary Pokemon, her previous fear completely gone as she berated Darkrai. "You do whatever the heck you want! I'm going to look for Fern and then get to shelter before the storm gets any worse!"

Without even a proper goodbye, Mint sped after her, leaving Darkrai alone as the rain furiously pelted down, running down his face and cloak as he felt his body grow colder and colder. The sun was completely gone from the sky, the armada of gray clouds too thick for any sunbeam to possible get through. Despite everything, he still held his Gracidea, wringing the stem as he balled his hands into fists.

"In danger... and it is my fault..." Darkrai's voice was raised to the barest hint of a whisper, and he shivered, repeating the words over and over and over. Another bolt of lightning struck, this time at a different part of the mountain, and the thunder that followed was even louder than before. His gaze rose up towards the sky.

"This is my fault..." A strange feeling of strength welled up in him, churning and broiling in his heart. He couldn't tell what it was, or why. "I... I did this."

* * *

Roaring surges of rain cascaded down from the rocky cliffs, forming tiny waterfalls as the path turned to mud, thin and slippery, making it harder and harder for Fern to slosh his way across the mountainside. The Gracideas beginning to float precariously as the tightly-woven basket began to fill with rainwater, working against the Shaymin and weighing his neck down. The storm was fierce enough to create a mist that covered the inside of the crevice, and he could barely see where he was going, a tiny pinprick of orange light guiding him along. "I've gotta... get to the station pass..."

A flash of lightning ripped across the sky, stopping Fern in his tracks as the following thunderclap made his ears ring in pain. The little hedgehog shivered in fear as his vision readjusted, and he blinked a few times before taking another step forward.

Something abruptly crashed into him from behind, knocking him over and sending the flower basket into the mud. The collected water gushed out, carrying the gathered Gracideas a short ways down the path. "Fern! There you are!"

"Mmmph!" Fern let out a muffled yelp as he tried to speak with his face in the mud. Lifting his head, he shook himself to clean his fur, which was matted and dirty from the barrage of bad weather. He felt a paw roughly rubbing his back, and looked over his shoulder at Mint, her body tense from flying, and breathing labored. "M-Mint? W-what are you doing?"

"Get up, Fern, get up!" Mint yelled, yanking her timid friend onto his feet. "We've gotta get out of here, c'mon!"

"B-but the Gracideas," Fern stuttered, looking aghast at the pink flowers as they were picked up by a gust of wind, floating farther and farther away. The basket was half-buried in the dirt path, and Fern walked over to it, trying his hardest to pull it out. Mint kicked at the goop, looking disgruntled at the other Shaymin. "Mint, help me!"

"Forget about the Gracideas, you doofus!" She bit down on Fern's tiny tail, making him let out a yip, and she pried him off of the basket, sending him a short ways away. The basket itself finally dislodged itself with the extra effort - it was partly filled with mud, bits of grass, and rainwater, and was thoroughly ruined. Mint turned around and jumped into the air, hovering over to Fern, who winced as he tried to rub his sore tail. "If we leave now, we can get to the station pass before-"

A fell wind blew through the crevice, freezing cold as the deluge soaked the two Pokemon to the bone, and they both began to glow brightly. Mint's jaw dropped in shock, and Fern's eyes widened as they were both engulfed by spheres of light, another boom of thunder shaking the mountain cliffs. As soon as it had happened, the glow vanished, leaving two smaller hedgehogs in its place. One of them hung in the air for a scant second before falling to the ground, grunting upon impact, and the other shook his thick coat of green fur, two leafy flowers sprouting close to his cheeks. "O-Oh... oh no, no, no..."

"Huh-uh?" Mint rose from the grass, only to find herself on the receiving end of an additional gush of water, falling from the edge of a rock jutting out from the wall. Thoroughly wet, she shimmied about, flinging droplets everywhere as she growled irritably. "Oh for the love of Arceus, come ohohoCHOO!"

"I-I'm sorry, M-Mint..." Fern shrank as small as he could as Mint sneezed twice in a row, and he buried himself in his fur coat. "L-Let's just get the Gracideas a-and-"

"Are you s-still on about that!?" Mint wheezed between sneezes, scratching at her side with one of her hind legs, and she coughed violently, her lungs unable to take any more punishment as the chilly gusts of wind whipped through the mountain path. She tried to take a few deep breaths, but the thin mountain air couldn't sustain her. "Gagh... Fern..."

"Mint?" Fern moved over to his friend, who slumped forward, unconscious. He reached out and nudged her, only to recoil with a light gasp as he grazed her belly, which was cold to the touch. "Oh no... this is bad..."

The shy young Pokemon began to make circles around his fainted friend, trying to think of what to do, on the verge of panic. "C-c'mon, Fern, think... you can't get home, you don't have the flowers anymore..."

The rain seemed to let up for a moment, and the flickering orange light caught his eye, beckoning him to continue forward. The thought of heat, warmth and a relatively safe roof over his head made Fern nod. He moved behind Mint and dug his nose into the wet earth, gingerly hoisting his friend onto his back as best he could. The water her fur had soaked up made her very heavy, almost as heavy as the basket had previously been, but the little Shaymin began to soldier forth, keeping his eyes on the end of the crevice.

A wicked wind howled like a banshee, sweeping through the deep canyon and slamming hard into the two Pokemon, and Fern struggled to stand his ground, the flowers in his fur closing up instinctively. Bucketful after bucketful of rain poured from the heavens, the muddy mountainside growing more and more treacherous with each passing minute, and steam and fog blocked the boy's path more and more as his field of sight decreased. His companion felt heavy, barely staying atop his back, and his body beginning to feel like fire, his muscles throbbed in pain. Fatigue began to finally catch up with him, a frightening numbness hitting him.

"I... I can't..." Fern could barely speak, and his eyes fluttered, beginning to tear up. "I... M-Mint..."

His mind, in its half-lucid stupor, thought back to what felt like hours before, as the figure of a tall, legendary Pokemon seemed to appear in front of him. Barely keeping himself awake, Darkrai's words bounced around in his head. "A d-duty t-to... he believes I-I can..."

Shaking his head, Fern forced himself to take another step, then another, and another. The rain mixed with his tears and drool as he continued forward, the sound of the fire finally starting to drift into his ears... but it was no use. His body surged in a massive jolt of pain, and he stumbled, too tired to even yelp in surprise as he slipped in the mud and collapsed, Mint rolling off of him as they both lay close to the end of the crevice. The thunder and lightning began to blind and deafen him, his breathing shallow and weak as his senses finally ceased their function. "Darkrai... Mint... I-I'm... sorry..."

He felt lightheaded, like he was lifting into the air, and he sighed, drifting into unconsciousness. "I couldn't... do it..."

* * *

Fern...

Ferrrrr-rrrrrrrrn...

Hello? Fern?

The hedgehog's vision was black, stars winking all around him, and he aimlessly floated through the shimmering night sky. Mint's voice, repeatedly calling his name, echoed around, making him fidget as the noise ruffled his fur. Fern's nose twitched as a strange, muggy warmth flowed over him, and a tiny dribble of fluid ran down his cheek. He let out a sigh of relative contentedness, curling up into a tiny ball as the flowers near his cheeks bloomed happily.

Fern... this is no time to be resting your head.

Something roughly flipped him over, the soft floor sending a comfortable brushy feeling up his back, and the blackness flushed pink as something – no, a group of somethings – gently stroked his chubby belly, the ticklish sensation making him struggle to keep a calm smile.

"Fern! It is time to awaken!"

The peaceful night sky shifted from an encroaching pink to a stunning white to a mottled, flickering grey, and Fern gasped for air, his eyes shooting wide open as he finally came awake. He breathed hard, sleep keeping him from focusing as flowing, crackling, grey and orange all vied for his attention. As his brain tried to sort itself out, the tickling somethings continued to gently rub and scratch at his belly, and he finally let out a quiet little laugh.

"M-Mihihhint..." He managed to say between bouts of laughter. "Stohohohop!"

"Fern, stop this nonsense and look around!" A stern voice replied, and Fern snapped to attention, returning to his senses. The familiar ceiling of a cozy cavern came into view, and a fire could be heard crackling over at the opposite wall. He lifted his chin to look around; Mint snoozed a short distance away, warming herself near the small campfire, and a black hand scritched idly at his belly, its attached arm hidden by a starry sleeve. The hedgehog's breath caught in his throat.


	6. Lookalike! Tricked by a Berry?

"Goodbyyyyyeeeee! Thanks for the heeeeeellllllllpppp!" Erin yelled loudly as she waved a fond farewell to Tiny Town as the four of us walked further and further away, the domed dwellings slowly blending in with the wide, rolling hills. A strong gust from the south kicked up dust from the trail, the tall grass whipping in the winds, and I noticed a spring in Rose's step as she took the lead. Cyan stomped behind me, occasionally grunting as Erin's sleeves lightly slapped him in his face.

"So..." The Samurott started, strongly tugging on the loose pink fur, and Erin let out a yip as she fell against the hiking bag. "What 'xactly are we getting' into now, eh?"

"You worried, Cyan?" I joked, slowing down to walk beside him, and he pulled a face at me. I laughed lightly, patting his shoulder. "There's way less chance we'll get lost in there, at least."

"Oran Forest is a lot smaller than the Apple Woods, so we should take our time to stock up on the berries in there." Rose trotted along, her tails bobbing back and forth as she spoke. "I bet they'll be pretty ripe for the picking, but let's not take any more than we really need, alright?"

"Can we eat a few along the way, Rose?" Erin asked, rolling onto her back to look at the clouds. Rose laughed, shaking her head. "Pleeeeaase?"

"I don't think Cyan would let you ride on his back if you ate too many!" The nine-tailed fox replied, and I let out a snort, stifling myself before I broke into a round of chuckles. Cyan rolled his eyes as his passenger wiggled around, and I took one last look behind us. Tiny Town was already out of sight. I moved up to Rose, the empty treasure bag held securely in place by her scarf.

"You seem cheerful today," I remarked, and she glanced at me as we continued on the trail. I reached over and tousled her headfur, grinning cheekily as a couple strands fell over her eyes. "I'm glad our chat with Cyan and Erin yesterday wasn't too bad."

"Oh, please..." She said, blowing her fur out of her face. "It'll take more than a little dwelling on old adventures to get me down, even if I was a little out of it yesterday."

"Regardless, I'm glad you're happy." I nodded, giving her a genuine smile. "Ready to get into the thick of it, then?"

"I'm always ready for an adventure." She broke into a run, galloping towards the forest. "Let's get moving, you guys!"

"Hey, wait up!" I called out to her, bringing a paw to my mouth as I moved into a jog. Erin swung off of her perch and scampered after the two of us, with Cyan bringing up the rear. "It's not a race if you get a head start!"

A few hours passed as we ran gleefully through the prarie path, our stride broken only by gusts of wind or chirps of Starly that swooped skyward, leaving their nests to hunt for food in the wild, open fields. The four of us drew nearer and nearer to the sea of trees, little spots of blue already visible deep within the thick branches, the fruits standing out against the lush, verdant leaves. A Kangaskhan Stone quickly came into view, sitting forlornly at the edge of the greenery, speckled with a colorful assortment of grime. As we slowed to a stop, Erin wheezed heavily, thoroughly run down, and leaned against the statue. Rose ran a paw against the stone base as Cyan finally trampled into the forest border, breathing hard in and out through his stubby pink nose.

"Well, this has certainly seen better days," I muttered under my breath, wiping a line down the Kangaskhan Stone, and I blinked as I rubbed the grime in between my pawpads. Erin gasped quietly as I looked over the monument, getting up and tiptoeing away, and Cyan reached up to grab a fruit from a plentiful bush.

"At leas'..." Cyan took a deep breath and a large bite out of the oran berry, his weariness fading away as a line of drool dribbled from his teeth. "At leas' we'll have plenty t'eat if we get tired."

"You just like eating, Cyan," Rose chuckled, and she turned towards Erin. "Let's rest for a while, and then we'll head in. Sound good?"

"Awwww!" Erin cooed, and I looked over at the fighting type, who was intently watching a baby Caterpie inch his way towards a plump berry, curling around the oran and wiggling happily as he started to eat. "All right, little guy! You did it!"

"I think he probably appreciates the sentiment, Erin," Rose chuckled, moving to the younger girl's side, and I folded my arms, amused. "But you probably shouldn't cheer him on."

"Ecch... g-guys? I don... don' feel s'good... hee hee!"

The three of us spun on our heels to look at Cyan, who awkwardly stumbled forward, his eyes glazed over as he chuckled lightly to himself. The berry he had eaten was nowhere to be found, likely already beginning to digest, and the Samurott took a few steps forward before tripping over his own feet, his helmet's horn stabbing into the trail as he tried to steady himself. I felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach as Erin bounced over and opened her friend's jaw, peering closely at the pearly teeth before slapping Cyan's side affectionately. "Did you eat an oren berry, you big doofus?"

I couldn't help but crack a cheeky grin, and Rose let out a sigh.

"Oh no."

* * *

**Lookalike! Tricked by a Berry!?**

* * *

Beams of sunlight cut through the tops of the trees, warming the backs of sleepy cocoons that hung from the trunks, and the relaxing sound of wild Combee filled the air, the honey-makers flitting from flower to flower and fruit to fruit. The tall grass tickled our feet as we trekked through the winding understory, taking berries from the trees and slipping them into the pockets of the treasure bag, which slowly began to fill. Rose slowed down a bit as I lumped a couple oran (I made sure) and rawst berries into the bag, and the Ninetales stretched her legs as the weight of the food began to settle on her back.

"Heh-hey, there's three'a ya, uhuh," I was quickly brought back to reality as Cyan let out an inane babble, and I turned around, watching as Erin guided the great sea lion along, her sleeves hanging limply as she pressed her paws against his cheeks. "Quit... quit usin' a double team on m... mugh..."

"C'mon, Cyan, just try and follow me!" Erin chanted cheerfully, getting a chuckle out of the drugged Pokemon. "Don't worry, everything'll be all better soon!"

"How soon, exactly?" I asked, folding my arms and turning around, walking backwards as Erin looked over her shoulder at me. Rose continued to lead us through the thicket, occasionally nosing off the beaten path and coming back with a berry or two. "He ate the whole oren berry, Erin. He's pretty much totally gone, right?"

"Yup!" She nodded her head, shrugging at us with a smile. "I tried giving him some of the medicine I keep for emergencies, but it doesn't look like it's working."

"Isn't there anything else you can do for him?" Rose asked, worry clear in her voice, her tails drooping low to the ground. "I don't know how much progress we can make if he's as, uh, out of it, as he is."

"Hmm... lemme think," Erin spun her belt around and dug into her medical satchel as her mind raced. Cyan sniffled loudly, slumping forward as he tried to focus. "The oran medicine didn't work, but I only gave him a teeny-weeny bit, just a couple dribbles since it's so strong and everything, so maybe I should give him more-"

"No..." I shook my head as the Mienshao began to ramble to herself, and I turned to look at Rose, who half-frowned in thought. "No, I think getting him overdosed would lead to an even worse situation."

"There's not much that you can do about oren poisoning... it's not like actual venom, a pecha berry won't work," The nine-tailed fox said, pacing back and forth and digging her claws deep into the fallow dirt as she pondered what to do. I reached backwards, putting my paws behind my head. The four aura tassels bounced lightly against my pawspikes. "It'd be great if we could just set up camp, but we only just left town..."

"Why don't we just keep on going?" I suggested, and Rose turned her head to look at me. I smiled confidently, reaching over to tousle her headfur. "We have places to be, so we might as well think on the go, right?"

"I suppose," Rose replied, stopping at a beam of sunlight that peeked through the trees. Motes of dust floated through the air, and I reached up to pluck a blooming flower from one of the fruit trees. I took a sniff of the sweet-smelling scent as a grunting came from behind me.

"H-hey, y'hear me..." Cyan stuttered, and the two of us glanced back at the addled sea lion. Erin was still talking to herself, leaving the poor Samurott to get himself stuck in a rut, his helmet stuck in a tree as he attempted futilely to walk through it. "What's with th'damn... trees? They..."

"Oi, Erin!" I called the Mienshao back to attention, and she perked her head up, scampering back over to her friend and dislodging him from the tree trunk. "C'mon, keep track of him, alright?"

"Okay, Bill!" Erin yipped excitedly, and she pulled hard on the Samurott's cheeks, bringing him over to Rose and I. Cyan grumbled in mild pain, his belly letting out an irritated gurgle.

"It's the three of us versus one of him, Rose," I added with a nod, and Erin rocked back and forth on her heels. "We should be just fine as long as we can keep an eye on him."

"I guess..." Rose was still skeptical, cocking her head in concern at the large Pokemon. "...alright, let's get moving, then."

The massive, sprawling orchard buzzed with activity as we casually strolled our way through the winding forest paths, only briefly taking breaks to get Cyan and Erin back on the right track, or to pick a few berries from some of the trees. One particular line of bushes was filled with flowering fruits, not quite ready to pick, and Erin had to keep Cyan from burying his face in the foliage and eating the inedible plants. We moved away from the patch as quickly as we could, as various bug types passed us by, content to keep to their work.

"Woah," Cyan drawled, a stupid grin plastered on his face as Erin pulled on his paw. He continued to be distracted "All... all thish food!"

"Control your stomach, bucko," Rose warned with a sigh, and I squatted down, slipping the treasure bag off of the fox's neck before returning her blue scarf. She nodded gratefully at me as I slung the leather straps over my shoulders. "If we can just get through the forest and close to Apple Woods, we can take a break for some lunch."

"Lunch!" Cyan's head perked up, and he nodded wildly, nearly bonking Erin's head with his helmet. The pink mink deftly dodged out of the way, moving left, but she kept holding onto her friend's paw. Feeling the forceful tug, Cyan circled after his friend, laughing childishly as he continued to nod. "Lunch souns... soun's gooooood..."

"Well, if we get there, we can have lunch sooner!" Erin replied cheerfully, tugging harder on her friend's armored arm. "C'mon, you big doofus, let's go!"

"Hhhhey..." The Samurott furrowed his brow, looking straight ahead of us. "Lookit... lookit all those berries over on th'trees!"

Up in one of the trees, on a rather high branch, was an enticingly-plump yellow berry, swaying gently in the breeze. Every so often a Butterfree or Hoppip would flitter over to it, only to quickly pass by, as if they had never seen it. I grinned, stretching my arms and legs. "Eyes of a Staraptor, stomach of a Snorlax."

"Ooh, what is it?" Erin stood on her tippy-toes, bringing a paw to her eyes as she tried to get a better view. Her sleeve drooped in front of her face, and she let out a huff as she hastily tied it into her sling. "I can't see-eee! Bill, Rose, what's it look like, huh?"

Rose's eyes widened in surprise, her tails beginning to wag up and down. "It looks like a sitrus berry from where I am!"

"I can't see any dots on it..." I narrowed my eyes. The oval-shaped shape seemed to glisten with a healthy sheen as a ray of sunlight briefly passed over it. "Definitely looks like something we could use, though."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Erin said, slipping a paw into her belt pouch and drawing out a stone. "I'll get it down! Just sit back and watch me!"

Before either Rose or I could stop her, she had spun her sleeve around a few times and let the stone fly, striking the branch squarely on its tip. It shook a bit, the berry spinning around as it dangled loosely from the wood. A wild Weedle inched down the trunk, settling comfortably on the underside of the wooden branch as it watched us with curious eyes. I reached over and firmly grasped Cyan by his backpack, steadying him as he tried to bumble away, and Erin let off another shot; it missed its mark by a mile, hitting a few inches under the berry.

"Erin, don't waste your ammo," Rose chided gently, and the pink-furred weasel glanced over at the older Pokemon, her whirling fur coming to a stop a third stone slid out of the sling. Rose shook her head, her headfur waving around as she picked the stone up in her teeth and handed it back to the Mienshao, who returned it to her pouch. "We can just have Bill climb up the tree and get it that way, right?"

"Eh?" My grin faltered slightly as I looked up at the tall tree. Rose and Erin looked at me expectantly, the latter walking over and squishing Cyan's cheeks together. The sea lion mumbled something inaudible. "Oh, all right, fine."

I strode over to the tree, aura swirling around my pawspikes as snow-white claws jutted forward, and I squatted a bit before leaping high into the air, lashing out to grab onto a branch. As I briefly bounced downward, I clasped my other paw closer to the base of the tree, pulling myself up and staring at the fruit. The strange, egg-shaped berry beckoned to me, and I jumped from my perch to another foothold, just barely able to graze the Weedle's head with my paw as I reached out. He nipped at me warningly, and I frowned.

"Bugger off, little guy, it's just a berry," I chastised the wild Pokemon, lightly poking it with one of the metal claws, and he scuttled higher onto the branch, leering warily at me as his pink nose and feet gripped the twig tightly. "Alrighty... let' s see here..."

Reaching up, I gently felt the large berry, a slick, moist fluid covering the entirety of the pale yellow skin. Odd, round ridges circled around the oval shape, and I leaned in close, taking a deep sniff of the sweet scent, my mouth beginning to water at the honeyed... smell... wait...

My heart dropped into my stomach as I recoiled quickly, losing my balance as I rocked back and forth on the tree branch, and I flailed my arms around, trying to keep from falling. The claws sprouting from my paws just nicked the bottom of the bug Pokemon's hive as I leaned too far forward, losing my footing and falling a good few feet in the air. I bet the Weedle was laughing at me.

I slammed hard into the ground, a shock running up my stomach, and the various slivers of honeycomb bounced off of my head as I pushed against the roots of the tree. Rose galloped forward, sticking her head under my arm and helping me to my feet, and Erin led Cyan over, letting out an excited coo as she watched the honey slide down and out of the shredded hive.

"Wowweeee!" The Mienshao cheered, moving away from her friend as she began to gather the pieces of the dripping honeycomb, cleaning them as best she could before wrapping them up and sticking them in a pocket of the hiking backpack. Cyan held a particularly large piece of honeycomb up to the sunlight, sticking out his tongue and taking a savoring lick of the wax. He let out another goofy laugh, preparing to stick the entire thing in his mouth.

"Cyan, quit it," I scolded, swiping the thing away from him before he could eat it, wax and all. "Half of that's covered in dirt, you'll just get sick. Er."

"Whuh?" He cocked his head. "Then... then I'll get ussom' honey thasn't touch th'dirt!"

As the Samurott reared up, getting ready to charge into the tree, Rose stepped in front of him, hopping up on her hind legs as she mimicked the water type's movements. "No, Cyan, stop!"

"H-heree go!" It was too late; Cyan dug his paws into the ground and stampeded forward, his helmet aimed straight and true at the tree's trunk, his body swirling with water. Rose shifted her weight to her back paws, holding her ground to tussle with Cyan, but I pounced forward and grabbed her before the charging Pokemon turned her into a fox-kebab. A loud THUNK sounded as the front horn dug into the tree, shaking the higher limbs hard enough to break the bond between hive and branch, as well as sending the Weedle scuttling further up into the canopy. "Y-yeah...! I did-"

The honey hive skewered itself on top of one of the smaller horns that jutted skyward from Cyan's helmet, the sweet, egg-shaped structure still mostly intact as dribbles of fresh honey started to run down the sides of the shell armor. The Samurott found himself silenced by the impact, even more dazed from the collision, and Erin hopped over to help her friend free himself from a tree for the second time in the day.

"You big booger!" She giggled, lightly chastising the tipsy water type. "Now look whatcha did!"

"Whuh?" Cyan grumbled as he reached up with his paw to wipe the honey off of his head. "Whud I do?"

A low, angry buzzing started to come from further into the thicket, a chorus of irritated chitters and chatters growing louder and louder as the low wind picked up the sweet scent of the honey hive, no longer hanging from its perch in the tall tree. I swallowed dryly as Rose and I spotted a swarm of Combee staring, wide-eyed, at the four of us, their jaws agape at the sight of their precious hive mostly demolished. "Oh, that's not good."

"Erin," Rose spoke slowly, trying her best to keep her cool. "Erin, I need to you take the Combees' hive off of Cyan and place it on the ground."

"Oh, okay!" Erin nodded obliviously, humming a peppy tune along with the buzzy bees as she tore the waxy thing off of the helmet and dumped it on the dirt, clapping her paws together as she suckled the glop off of them. "Sorry about that, Combees! We didn't mean to do that, our friend's just a little sick and he knocked it down, so..."

"Erin, quit trying to start a conversation and get back over here," I gave a firm order, and the Mienshao let out a sigh of disappointment, waving a friendly goodbye to the bees as she plodded over to Cyan, who was looking around the clearing, the noisy swarm setting him on edge. "All right, now get Cyan and follow us... this way..."

"Eh?" Cyan's head was whipping back and forth, the shell helmet still coated with honey glaze as a few particularly brave Combee flew forward, taking in the smell that wafted off of the heavy armor. "'Ey, get off'a me..."

The sea lion drew one of his seamitars and raised it above his head, and Rose, Erin and I all jumped forward, hanging onto the drunk mercenary's arm as we tried to weigh it down. The change in balance took Cyan by surprise, and he flopped over onto his side, losing his grip on the shell blade as he closed his eyes, half-conscious as the full force of the oren berry hit him. The heap of us looked up at the swarm of Combee, who seemed to be talking amongst themselves, and I pulled both Rose and Erin close, whispering urgently.

"Okay, new plan." I kept myself as still as possible, barely mouthing my movements as I played dead. My teammates, sans Cyan, followed suit, and I gave the clearing a once-over, a makeshift strategy pulling itself together. "Rose, help me get Cyan on his feet as quick as we can. Erin, do you still have any of those orbs from the river?"

The pink mink nodded, rolling her eyes in thought. "Umm... yeah, there's one with a pretty bright light!"

"A luminous orb?" Rose said in surprise, and I grinned. "Hm... that could work..."

"I think it'll work fine, if we don't blind ourselves," I agreed, and I rolled onto my feet, pulling the Ninetales and Mienshao up with me. "Alright, now!"

In the span of a few seconds, three things happened: Erin jammed her paw into her belt pouch, closed her eyes, and smashed the luminous orb into the dirt. As the hive of Combee cried out in shock, Rose and I covered Cyan's head and helped him back onto his feet, readjusting his backpack and dusting him off, and Rose's eyes quickly landed on a small path leading through a rough, untended part of the forest. "That way! Hurry!"

As the cream-furred fox took point, Erin grabbed onto Cyan's paw, dragging him along as the four of us fled into the leafy trail, ticklish ferns and gnarled roots brushing into us as the sunlight became dimmer and dimmer, curtains of leaves and thinner trees hanging over our heads. A loud, feminine screech shot through the forest, whipping the Combee into an aggressive frenzy, and Cyan looked over his shoulder at the swarm of bug types that were finally breaking out of their stupor, spreading throughout the Oran Forest in search of us. He stumbled over a rock that jutted from the dirt, and Erin had to pull hard to keep him from falling over again.

"Wha' th'heck's goin'..." He mumbled, and Erin gently patted the sea lion's cheek, ducking under branches and vaulting over fallen trunks. "Wha's with all th'buzzin'?"

"Why can't we ever just have a nice walk in the forest that doesn't go wrong?" I quipped smartly.

"It wouldn't be an adventure that way, right?" Rose retorted with a small smile on her face. A couple Combee zoomed past us, catching us in their sights, and they let out a melodic cry, shooting at us with colorful beams of light. I yelped as I nearly stepped into the path of one of the lasers, and I hopped on one foot for a few seconds before dodging, lashing out with the metal claws and landing a small cut across one of the Combees. It whined in pain, losing altitude as its tiny wings stopped fluttering for a moment.

"That hive must have been reeee-ally important for the Combee to be this mad, huh?" Erin remarked with a spring in her step, trying her best to sling stones at the bug types, warding them away as they attempted to blast us away with their attacks.

"I don't see why that particular hive would get them all riled up," Rose said, letting lose a psyshock at one of the wild Pokemon. I jumped into the air and spun around, smacking both of the Combee with my tail, and they flew into the trees, knocked out from the impact. "Mystery dungeon or not, they'd have to have plenty more around the forest!"

A shadowy figure appeared some paces away in the thicket, hourglass-shaped with a large, red glow coming from the top of its head. The Pokemon raised its arms, a swirling ball of orange energy forming from the light of the jewel on its forehead, and I sucked in a breath, pushing Rose and Erin low, ducking under the attack. Cyan yelped as he tripped over us, landing facefirst into the dirt and groaning in pain, spitting out bits of grime as his addled brain tried to pull itself together as best it could.

"C'mon, c'mon, we've got to keep moving!" I said, running over to the sea lion and yanking on his two front paws. Erin took care of his back paws, resting the mercenary's tail atop her head, and Rose slipped underneath Cyan's belly, grunting as she pushed with her back muscles. "There's got to be a clear spot around here somewhere!"

"Bill, just keep going forward!" Rose said, her nose poking out from between my ankles. "I can see really bright sunlight a little ways away!"

"Alright, let's go!" I nodded, and the three of us, carrying Cyan along, hoofed it, the foliage beginning to thin out as more and more beams of light pierced through the high canopy, tree roots and weeds settling more levelly into the dirt. The attacks from the Combee seemed to ease off a bit, most of them striking the ground close to our feet or the branches above our heads. Leaves were torn from their trees and plants were uprooted as the multicolored lights carved their way through the forest, and with a final rush Rose, Erin and I crashed our way into the open spot, the breeze sending rustles through the forest as we tumbled and rolled across the dirt.

Cyan grunted as he slid on his belly, smacking his lips as he became slightly more lucid, and I pushed off my knees and onto my feet, brushing flecks of dirt off of my shoulders. Erin kept to the tall grass, rolling around in the small field as she basked in the warm sunlight, giggling all the while. A softly-flowing brook streamed westward, Rose already lapping up a drink from the clear, cool water.

"Is everyone okay?" She asked, panting hard between drinks. "Where's the swarm of Combees? There's no way we threw them off that easilMMPH-"

A shot of white string launched out from the trees, cutting Rose off mid-sentence as it wrapped around her mouth. Another few strings shot out from the opposite end of the field, tying Cyan down by his paws, and I instinctively stepped away, another orange blast of energy colliding where I was just standing. Erin gasped in surprise, scrambling to get up as we moved back to back, a pair of Beedrill leaving their cover as they circled us. An uproarious screech announced the presence of the queen of the hive, the hourglass-shaped Vespiquen from before. She hovered low to the ground, glowering at us as she stayed to the sidelines.

"You take the Beedrill. Try and knock them out with your throwing stones. I'll focus on the Vespiquen." I spoke low and quiet, and Erin nodded. I threw her a confident grin. "And use the big guy over there as cover if you need it!"

I ran forward, brandishing my metal claws as I dashed at the queen bee, and Erin skipped away, slinging stones at one of the Beedrill as it closed in, its stingers gleaming in the sun as it began to rain needles down from the sky. Rose got to her feet, galloping over despite her silenced muzzle, and pounced on one of the bug types, pinning it to the dirt and slashing with her claws. The Vespiquen charged up another power gem as I charged at her, roaring out a battlecry, and she flung it at me with a screech of her own.

"Nice try!" I snorted, sliding underneath the wild Pokemon as her attack blasted a small crater in the field, and I spun on my heel, leaping onto the bee's back and poking my claw gently at the red gem on her forehead. She tensed up, freezing in place (except for her wings, which kept her afloat, of course), and I wrapped my legs around her arms, squeezing tight to keep her from moving. "Oi, Beedrill!"

Rose and Erin looked up, letting their foes go as the two Beedrill stared at me, unfazed by their queen's capture. I jabbed my claws a little harder into the shining jewel, a nearly-inaudible 'tink' sounding. "Get out of here. We didn't mean to break your hive, our drunk friend over there is the one who you should be mad at. We plan on giving him what-for once he wakes up."

The pair of bug Pokemon glanced at each other before nodding at me and slowly flying away, sinking into the depths of the forest. Once they had vanished from sight, I removed my paw from my prisoner's head, jumping from the Vespiquen's shoulders as I walked over to Rose, tearing her bindings off, and she worked her sore jaws, giving me a grateful look.

"Funny how often you can avoid these things by talking first," She muttered under her breath as she looked worriedly at Cyan, and I let out a round of snickers. Vespiquen shifted between angry and irritable before settling with resignation, clacking her mandibles together one final time before flying away, likely to call her swarm off. Erin was checking her friend over, dabbing gingerly at the string shots that bound the Samurott's paws to the dirt.

"Bill! Rose!" She called over to us. "C'mon, help me get these things off of Cyan!"

The nine-tailed fox and I both sighed.

* * *

_The next morning..._

* * *

"Oooargh... m'head... what's happenin'?"

Cyan's eyes blinked open as a gust of cool wind blew past his ears, the distinct lack of his seamitars and helmet overpowering the massive ache that throbbed painfully in his forehead. He tried to reach up and massage his temples, only to struggle to even lift his paws. "What? What th'heck's wrong with me!? Aggh..."

A surge of pain rolled through his brain, sending him to the ground as he groaned in mild agony. "Arghghgh... dammit, Arceus dammit... m'head is killin' me!"

"Really?" I said with a grin, and the Samurott turned his head around to look at me. Rose was getting another drink from the brook, while Erin scrubbed fiercely at the shell helmet with a wet strip of bandages. I leaned against Cyan's side, tossing an oran berry up in the air. "I couldn't tell."

"Bill..." Cyan grumbled in annoyance, wincing as his headache took its course. "I... I can't remember anythin' about yesterday. Where are we? What's goin' on?"

I waited a few seconds before catching the berry, holding it between two of my pawpads for the young mercenary to see. He blinked expectantly, confused by the gesture. "You really ought to check what you're eating before you eat it, y'know? You'd have saved us a lot of trouble yesterday if you hadn't eaten that oren berry."

"Gah-" He gritted his teeth, trying to fight the aftereffects of the oren berry from the previous day. "What? You've gotta b'kiddin' me!"

"Nope!" Erin bounded over with her friend's helmet, plunking it haphazardly on his head and childishly playing with his mustache. Cyan grimaced grumpily. Or maybe it was just because of pain. I couldn't really tell. "You were a big goofball yesterday! You said lots of funny stuff and even got your head stuck in a tree!"

"Wh-what?" Cyan replied, flustered. Rose walked over to us as Cyan sputtered to himself. "You're jokin', right? Bill, she's pullin' m'leg, right?"

Rose sat down and gave the embarrassed Pokemon an amused gaze. "We all had to pull your legs at one point to keep you moving yesterday, buster."

I barked out a laugh, bringing a paw to my mouth as I tried to stifle myself, and Erin flopped into the warm, sunny grass, rolling around as she giggled loudly. Rose ducked away, trying her best not to laugh at the thoroughly-humiliated Cyan, who looked over at his paws, still bound by the Beedrill's string shot.

"Ahah... eheh... we shouldn't be laughing at you, Cyan." I quickly caught myself, letting my aura form a claw as I cut through the bindings, patting his side as he stretched his sore limbs out. "Sorry. Just promise to pay attention to what you pick next time?"

"Fine." Cyan rolled his eyes, resting his chin in his front paws. "Fine."

* * *

**A/N: Not my best. I wanted to avoid the anime's pitfall of introducing a new character every episode/chapter or so, only to throw him-or-her by the wayside one the episode/chapter was finished. However, I'm not really sure how well I pulled this off this time, so some feedback would definitely be appreciated.**

**MajoraGodofChaos - Thanks, I suppose! In hindsight a better term to use would have been "episodic" (and I've added it to the first chapter's A/N as such), but if nothing else I'm glad you were able to understand what I meant at first.**


	7. Friendship! The Childish Nightmare!

The sounds of hushed whispers, mixed with cracking,burbling, and pitter-pattering, roused Mint from her sleep, her droopy eyes fluttering open as she tried to locate the source of the noise. A strong, soothing fire roared a short distance away from her, sending shivers through her body as the heat exacerbated her warm body temperature. She tried to take a deep breath and found herself fully roused by the loud, obnoxious snorting that her nose made, and she stood up, shaking around as she yawned.

"Ergh, yuck." She grimaced, her stuffy nose completely unable to help her breath, and she took a couple gulps of air through her mouth, her throat scratchy and dry. The two flowers on her cheeks felt slightly wilted. "Drink... something to drink..."

"M-Mint?" A quiet voice caught her ear, and the Shaymin turned around to look at her friend. Darkrai watched the two of them as Fern plodded over and rubbed at her back, the fire's light reflecting off of the starry cloak and the gray stone walls as wind whistled in from the outside-

Darkrai!?

"Uwah!" Fern yelped as he found himself sprawled onto his back, and Mint growled as she stepped in front of her friend, glaring at Darkrai. A few seconds later, she found herself beginning to cough violently, her throat too sore to keep up the act. The legendary Pokemon blinked mildly.

"Wh-what are you doing h-here?" Mint managed to sputter out as her fit eased off. "D-didn't you hear me? Do what you want to do!"

"M-Mint, stop..." Fern sighed, rolling back onto his feet and poking Mint's cheek. "Stop it! He helped us!"

"What!?" She replied with no small hint of skepticism, turning around to stare at Fern. He shook a bit under her gaze. "Helped us? How!?"

She shuddered as her voice burned in pain, and her mouth watered desperately as she tried to moisten her throat, stroking at her chest as she gestured at Fern. He sucked in a breath before looking past her at Darkrai. She frowned irritably, gasping out a few words. "W-water... w-water, please..."

She heard a shuffling as the sound of a light splash echoed around the room, and she turned around, watching the cloaked Pokemon dip his hand into a small wellspring that flowed from the wall of the station pass. A couple small boxes and pots sat close by with their lids askew, revealing the dried berries and nuts that sat within. Mint weakly hobbled over, only to find herself held firmly by the scruff of her neck. Darkrai gently squatted down, pressing a hand to her lips. Cool water brushed against the bottom of her nose. "Drink."

She eyed Darkrai warily, his ice-blue eyes locked with her emerald-green ones. She glared at him for a few moments before she felt her throat begin to burn again, and she coughed into the offered hand, sniffling as her nose began to twitch irritably. She could feel Fern looking worriedly at her from the ground. Left with little choice, she let out a soft sigh of defeat and stuck her tongue out, sticking her mouth into the water and beginning to drink. The crystal-clear liquid was a much-needed balm, washing down her throat and returning her strength, and the little hedgehog kicked about suddenly, wriggling out of Darkrai's grasp and clambering her way right into the font, slurping greedily.

"Mint, a-are you okay now?" Fern asked quietly, peeking his head over the rocks as he watched his friend chug down her drink, standing underneath the flow of the fountain as she eyed the two Pokemon. Darkrai briefly massaged his hand before letting it fall to his side, standing up and dusting his cloak off. "You really got rained on yesterday."

"Rained..." The memories came flooding back, and Mint gasped, shivers running down her spine as the water soaked her fur. Moving out of the fountain, she climbed back up onto the rocks, looking around the station pass. "The Gracideas! Fern, where are they? I don't smell any!"

"We..." Fern shrank back, hiding himself in his bushy green fur as Mint eyed the Shaymin accusingly. "You crashed into me and we lost them... and the basket, r-remember? In... the storm?"

"I..." The muddy, ruined basket, in her mind's eye, silenced her. "Oh... aaaagh, you're right! What was I thinking!? C'mon, Fern, let's go back to the peak and-"

A booming clap of thunder rang through the room, and Mint lost her balance in surprise, falling face-first onto the stone floor. She groaned, picking herself up, and as she scratched at her ear, Darkrai placed a handful of food in front of her. She looked up at him, cocking her head in bewilderment. He stared back, unfazed. Rain pounded outside.

"I think that would be an unwise decision."

* * *

**Friendship! The Childish Nightmare!**

* * *

The trio of Pokemon sat quietly around the fire, the warmth of the flickering flames enveloping the two hedgehogs and their companion as they ate their meal. The sundried fruits and preserved nuts, old and a bit tasteless from sitting so long inside of a dusty box, did little to help settle Mint's stomach, and she crunched into a particularly hard chestnut with a grunt, chewing with the most bored expression she could muster. She rolled onto her back and kicked her paws into the air, flinging a few half-hearted punches at the ceiling.

"Are you not hungry?" Darkrai asked, and she turned to look at the tall, legendary Pokemon, who watched her placidly, holding a small cheri between two fingers. She groaned.

"No, I'm not happy!" She rolled around like a barrel, from one wall to the other and back again, grumbling to herself all the while. "I'm bored! There's nothing to do in here, I can't fly out in the storm and we're just stuck here!"

"M-Mint, we have to stay here until the last of the storm passes over," Fern stuttered, nibbling on his own helping of preserved food. Despite the weather raging outside, his soft smile seemed abnormally happy. "Besides... it's not so bad in here."

"Not so bad!?" She scampered over to her friend, knocking his food away accidentally as she leered at him. Fern recoiled in surprise, taking a step backwards, his tail pressed against the stone. "Not so bad? Are you kidding me?"

"Mint." Darkrai said firmly, causing both Shaymin to turn and look at him. His mouth was full; the girl wrinkled her nose. "This storm would have come to pass whether or not you took shelter here, correct?"

"Eh?" Mint rolled her eyes upward in thought, scratching an itch at her cheek. "Yeah, this storm was coming sooner or later, so that's why we needed to find you before-"

"Find me?" Darkrai interrupted, his eyes widening in dampened shock. "For what reason?"

"You already asked that yesterday, remember?" Mint jabbed her paw in Darkrai's direction, unhappy with being cut off. "We wanted to find our flowers, and then we went to thank you for keeping them safe for us!"

The dark type was silent, processing her words, and Mint turned towards Fern, who was gathering up his scattered food. With a sigh, she walked away, back to her own breakfast, and collapsed into a frumpy lump on the ground, nibbling at the trail mix absently. It tasted like... well, it didn't really taste like anything, actually, but that was beside the point!

"No flowers, no basket, no nothing..." Mint complained under her breath, bouncing the shells of a chestnut between her two front paws. She couldn't even wince at the slight pain the prickles sent through her nerves. "We get yelled at by Sage and come back to get flowers and we still can't even do that right!"

"Sage?" Darkrai chimed in, shaken out of his trance by the unfamiliar name. "Who does that name belong to?"

"Bah, who cares?" Mint took the halves of the shell in her mouth and spit them into the fire, embers quickly eating through the plant. The fire waved passively as the slightest stormy breeze swirled through the tunnel, the oxygen keeping the flames alive. "He's a jerk, that's all you need to know."

"Mint, don't... t-talk about Sage like that," Fern's voice faltered, his smile drooping. Darkrai looked at the young boy out of the corner of his eyes, folding his arms as he watched the two children try to continue. "He's just..."

"He yelled at you and made you cry, Fern!" Mint yelled, the loud noise bouncing around the cavern. Darkrai blinked, sucking in a breath as Fern winced in unhappiness. "He's never been nice to either of us, or to anyone in the village. He's just an old, crabby Pokemon who doesn't believe us and sent us up here to get rid of us!"

"What does he not believe you about?" Darkrai reached over to Fern and lightly fluffed his fur. The Shaymin sighed gratefully.

"We got scared the other day when we first found you and went back and told Sage, alright?" Mint exhaled, lowering her voice as she tried to keep her cool. Darkrai's eyes seemed to shift into a suspicious leer. "But he didn't believe us, yelled at us for not coming back with any Gracideas, and then told us to just come back here and stay here for a while!"

"You..." Darkrai murmured, his eyes flashing briefly as he slipped his other arm deeper into his sleeve, feeling at the petals of his Gracidea. "You were banished from your village?"

"Nah, not banished, really," Mint replied, shaking her head. "He's a jerk, but he's also one of the elders in the village, so we have to do what he says!"

"I... see." The legendary Pokemon nodded.

"M-Mint, he did ask us to bring back some flowers..." Fern added, but Mint silenced him with a wave of her paw, the girl rolling around again on her back.

"Flowers, shmowers, who cares about that?" She growled through gritted teeth, peering upside-down at Fern. "All he wanted was to get rid of us and you know it!"

"Get rid..." Fern trailed off mid-sentence, looking down at the gray stone floor and rolling a dried berry around, taking the smallest of nibbles every so often as his hesitation grew. An unspeakably-awkward silence followed, the tension thick enough to drown in, and the three Pokemon stared into the small fire, nobody willing to strike up another conversation. And so they simply sat.

Seconds turned to minutes, minutes turned to hours as the rainstorm outside the station pass poured down upon the mountain, the crevice pathway leading to the southern part of the peak as foggy as ever as the legion of dark clouds moved along. The sky turned from charcoal to a brighter grey (not that it meant much), the thunder and lightning becoming less frequent as a single beam of sunlight illuminated the mud at the entrance to the cavern. Mint had left her spot near the rest of her companions, struggling to climb into one of the pots of provisions, and with a whooping call she felt both her and the container tip over, the little hedgehog buried under food.

"Pththtuff!" The girl spat out a string of plain seeds, plink-plink-plinking against the ceiling as she wriggled her way out of the pile. "AaaaAAAAAGh! This is so boring, I swear to Arceus!"

"I am sorry for what happened yesterday," Darkrai started to apologize, only to find himself getting hit in the forehead with a hard nut. He winced, rubbing the sore spot with a finger as he turned to stare at Mint. Her cheeks bulged with seeds, nuts and other tiny bits of food, ready for her to launch at him.

"Och, shuh hup!" The grass type managed to say with her mouth full, and she spat a berry at him, which he just narrowly dodged with a twist of his neck. "Ooh hff noff t'hee sorrh frr!"

Darkrai ducked and dodged a few more projectiles before standing up, letting his cloak flare to its full length before stepping over to the impudent Pokemon, slipping his fingers into her back fur as he picked her up. Placing his thumbs on her cheeks, Darkrai pushed hard, forcefully shooting the food into the floor until the supply had been exhausted. Mint gasped for air, a disgruntled look on her face as she was returned to the ground. "Speak again. I could not understand your words previously."

I said, 'Shut. Up. You. Have. Nothing. To. Be. Sorry. For!'" Mint enunciated each word clearly and sharply, moving back towards the pot of food as she tried to push it up again. "Heck, you saved us from being stuck in the storm! Who cares if you don't know a single thing about this mountain?"

"I do not understand why you care so strongly... but that was not what I wished to apologize for," Darkrai said simply, and Mint glanced at him. Fern, who had stayed silent near the fire during the ordeal, peered over as well, his eyes bright and curious. Letting out a long, tired breath of air, the legendary Pokemon gingerly righted the upturned pot before leaning against the wall, looking blankly into the fire. One of the logs collapsed, its middle turned to ash. "I tried to get rid of Fern, and then you, even though the two of you had nowhere else to go..."

"Huh?" Fern said, his mouth pursing into a perfect circle of surprise. "That's... n-not true, Darkrai. Y-you just wanted us to bring the flowers back to the village."

"I acted in the same manner as the others..." Darkrai said, more to himself than either of the two Shaymin, and Mint frowned, running forward and bashing lightly into the pair of thin black legs.

"Will you stop talking like that, you idiot?" She didn't knock the tall Pokemon over like she had hoped, but she had at least gotten his attention, even if he was just staring sadly at her. "Quit being all mysterious and spit it out! Who's these others? What's with you being all mopey all of a sudden?"

"The others are-" Darkrai's voice was slightly strained, the typically-gravelly tone high as he trembled, warping the stars on his cloak. He seemed out of it, his eyes glazing over as he began to mutter. "Not important."

Fern toddled over, looking up his nose at the legendary dark type. "Yes they are, D-Darkrai... you were about to talk about them yesterday before you sent me away. What's wrong?"

"_Monster! Get away from my wife!"_

_ "I have no intention of harming you or your-"_

His legs throbbed as he replayed the smacking sound of a hardwood staff against the bones, swept off his balance.

_ "Stay back! I won't hesitate to hurt you again..."_

_ "Please, I simply wish to talk-"_

A long-healed scab on one of his palms, from a Scyther's blade. He slipped the arm deep into the cloak, brushing past his Gracidea.

_ "You deserve to be alone forever, you evil Pokemon."_

_ "But I don't understand why you think I am-"_

A harsh battlecry. A slap across the face as he was knocked unconscious, without an explanation. He exhaled heavily, his eyes growing wide.

"I am sorry."

"Are you seriously still going to go on about that?" Mint replied, her words cutting deeper than she realized. "Do you seriously think that you need to apologize for what you did for Fern and I?"

"Darkrai, you're not a bad Pokemon..." Fern reassured, moving to comfort the legendary Pokemon. "You're our... friend..."

"Friend?" The word seemed almost alien at this point. "No... you should not be. I could not let you endure it. It is for the best."

Darkrai stood up sharply, his cloak billowing outward as it rose from the cold stone floor. Both Fern and Mint recoiled in surprise, eying the legendary Pokemon warily. The wisps on his head seemed to whip around in a panic, like it had a mind of its own, and a storm of emotions swirled around in his eyes, betraying his still posture. "Please."

Before the two could stop him, Darkrai's arms had dropped to his sides, standing up and making a dash for the crevice path, splashing through the mud and rain as he was quickly swallowed up by the fog. Fern gasped and stumbled over himself as he tried to give chase, and Mint scrambled over to the edge of the station pass, yelling loudly.

"Darkrai!" Her screams echoed across the trail, and she jumped up, trying in vain to see through the thick mist. The rain was finally, finally beginning to dwindle, having gone from a downpour to a gentle sprinkling, and the sun was beginning to shine brighter and brighter as the clouds reached their end. The heat from the fire seemed to fade as daylight warmed the mountaintop. "Darkrai, what the heck are you doing!? Come back!"

Something small settled against her back, irritating her fur, and she shook herself around, blinking mildly as a rather roughly-handled pink flower drifted to her feet. "W... where the heck did this come from?"

"I-It's a Gracidea!" Fern exclaimed, running over and poking it with his nose. "I... I gave Darkrai a Gracidea yesterday! This one must be his!"

"His or not, I'm glad he was careless with it!" Mint took the flower's stem into her mouth, turning towards her friend and shoving the pink petals into his face. "Come on, Fern, let's use this and go after him!"

"W-what?" Fern stuttered out. "D-do you think w-we should?"

"Fern, what choice do we have?" Mint said quickly, closing her eyes as the power of the blooming Gracidea began to flow through her, and in a flash of light both she and Fern had transformed into their Sky Formes. She stretched out her legs and batted at her ears, warming up. "I'd take spending time with Darkrai over going back and having Sage yell at us again!"

"But he..." Fern looked into the fog briefly. The legendary Pokemon already had a head start, but the look in his eyes pained him to remember. "...no, you're r-right. Darkrai needs o-our help."

"That's the spirit, Fern!" Mint replied, her irritation turning to a cocky smile as she pounced forward, doing a small loop in the air. "Look, you head to the northern part of the mountain! I'll check the south again!"

"A-alright!" Fern replied, taking a tentative jump as he hovered low to the ground. The two nodded briefly before splitting up, hurtling into the mist as they swooped upward and across the mountain trail, their paths diverging as Fern slipped into another cavern, while Mint continued through the muddy crevice.

* * *

The eclipse cloak waved in the breeze as Darkrai slowed his pace to a crawl, the water gliding off of the star-patterned fabric as he reached out into the mist. A quiet, far-off rumble of thunder rolled through the valley as the sunlight began to shine through the tail ends of the storm, beginning to dispel the soupy fog, and the southern patch of Gracideas quickly came into view. The foggy forest in the distance was as coated as ever, and the grass and flora sparkled with dew. Sighing in frustration, Darkrai trekked his way over to the large tree near the flowers and stood among the gnarled roots, beginning to meditate.

Aside from the slowing rain and the sound of the wind, a fresh silence reigned. He was alone again, left to his thoughts and his own devices.

He replayed the vivid, terrifying memories in his head, deeply furrowing his brow as the various attacks and harsh words stuck him over and over, flinging him out of his peace every time he attempted to center himself. He couldn't tell whether his old wounds were truly in pain or if he had simply dreamed it all up, and he reached over to grasp at his shoulder, feeling down the odd growth that sprouted from the bone.

He had been able to heal from the near-lethal blow, with time and care, and hiding himself whenever other Pokemon crossed his path. Neither Mint nor Fern could have taken the blow as easily.

"It is for the best." He told himself. Fern's quiet statement of friendship made the words sound hollow now. "They will be given the same treatment I have if they are my... friends."

What was he feeling?

_"You're our... friend..."_

Heck, what were they feeling?

...He should have asked when he had the chance.

The warm sun shined down onto the foggy forest below, dissolving some of the low-hanging clouds that clung to the trees and revealing a small mountain that lay hidden underneath a thick cover. Darkrai leaned forward in confusion as he stared at the stone formation, a strange half-sphere with waterfalls running down its sides. It sparkled brightly in the light, and the legendary Pokemon put an arm up in front of his face to keep from being blinded.

"There you are, you big fat moron!"

He lowered his arm at the sound of Mint's voice, completely unsurprised. She frowned at him before hitting him with a headbutt, winding him. He flopped over onto his backside, sitting down as he tried to catch his breath, and he glared unhappily at the long-eared Shaymin. "I... hah... I did not want you to follow me."

"You'll have to do better than coming back here to shake me off!" The girl said angrily, flying over to his chest and standing on top of him, pinning him to the ground. "And you're not going anywhere until you listen to me, got it?"

Technically he could easily just pick her up and leave again, but the odd, nagging feeling picked at his mind again. "Why do you you keep coming back?"

"Do you think we have anyone else to hang out with?" Mint left the question hanging, stomping her feet a few times on Darkrai's ribs. Along with the previous headbutt, he winced as air left his lungs again. "You think we can just get some Gracideas and go back and Sage'll be happy as a Clamperl? He'll yell at us for not staying up here and 'keeping an eye on you'!"

"You... but you said he did not believe I was here!" Darkrai sputtered, briefly dropping his stoic mask before catching himself.

"He doesn't, you doofus, but he'll yell at us anyway and probably send us back up here," Mint replied, forgetting what she was doing and pacing around atop the silky cloak. His curiosity piqued, Darkrai leaned up, shuffling around a bit to get more comfortable. "Besides, you obviously care about us more than he does!"

"I..." He was thrown completely off-guard, his eyes growing wide at the statement. "What?"

"Oh for Arceus' sake, I can understand not talking to anyone but do you really not understand the concept of friendship?" Mint snorted before coughing a bit, having scoffed too hard for her throat to handle. Darkrai frowned, lightly shaking his head.

"Those who travel together are friends," Darkrai said, thinking back to the Pokemon he'd observed while hiding and healing. Happy, smiling faces that beckoned to him, only to turn on him when he revealed himself. "And strong friends defeat evil Pokemon and protect others from harm."

Mint grumbled under her breath, rolling her eyes. "...okay fine maybe you do get it kinda."

"And I am apparently an evil Pokemon," Darkrai continued, trying his best to focus solely on Mint. "And I have... had things happen to me because of it..."

"You don't seem that evil to me!" Mint interrupted his train of thought, and she poked at the sore spot on his forehead with her paw. He grunted, reaching over and rubbing at the mild ache with a finger. "Heck, I've been saying that over and over, you saved Fern and I from getting stuck out in that storm! Is that evil?"

"I sent Fern out into the storm," Darkrai said, feeling the odd strength well up in his heart again, and he raised his voice, speaking harder, stronger. "I had to make up for a deed I had done. Nothing more."

"Yeah, and guess what? That's not evil!" Mint screeched, getting very close to his face before exhaling in frustration. Her breath smelled funny. Darkrai blinked. "You keep doing stuff and apologizing for it and then doing it again! You say sorry for sending Fern and I away and then tell us to stay away from you? You keep saying you're evil even though you saved our lives? Make up your mind!"

"I..." The legendary Pokemon couldn't think of an answer, and he hung his head in shame. She was right, about everything, and somehow that froze all the energy in his heart that had been boiling hot just before. Even the stars on his cloak seemed to fade out in despondency. "I... I simply do not wish to bother you."

"Mint!" A quiet voice yelled from afar, and the pair of Pokemon looked skyward as another Shaymin flew towards them, moving up and down the curves of the mountainside as he made his way into the valley. "You found him!"

"Yeah, he decided to be predictable!" Mint called back to Fern, and the timid boy touched down a few paces away from the tree, walking the last few stretches as he shyly smiled at the two of them. "And I'm telling him a good what-for, too! You missed it!"

"Darkrai, p-please don't run off like that!" Fern said, sniffing a bit as he dried his dew-coated paws on the cloak. "You could have g-gotten yourself hurt."

"I would have been fine," Darkrai sighed, reassuring the Pokemon with a wave of his hand. "I am stronger than you may believe me to be."

"That doesn't matter, D-Darkrai," Fern replied, moving next to his friend and sitting down, curling up comfortably on the dark type's lap. "Even if you don't think so... you're our f-friend. You helped us, and... w-we want to help you back."

"F-Fern!" Mint said, pouting in embarrassment. "Don't say that kind of sappy stuff!"

Darkrai looked from one Shaymin to the other before peering past both, looking out at the strange mountain in the distance. It was starting to become fogged over again, the perpetual mist pushed upwards by the currents of wind far below. Soon enough the half-sphere and its waterfalls were out of sight. He sighed, curling his arms up and pulling his companions into an embrace. Fern squeaked in surprise, while Mint wriggled around grumpily. The leaves of the tree above them rustled peacefully.

"Hey, what gives?" Mint groaned as she ceased her struggles, resigning herself to the hug. The cloak was kinda soft, now that she really felt it. "Darkrai, come on!"

"My friends," He whispered to himself. Fern smiled, closing his eyes and snuggling into Darkrai's shoulder. "I am sorry for worrying you."

"Stop apologizing, geeze!" Mint said, and both Darkrai and Fern looked at her placidly. She grunted, turning her head away. "Just don't run off on us and we won't worry, got it?"

"I..." Darkrai began, but simply nodded, the energy in his chest turning warm. "I understand."

The feeling of having someone close by was the most wonderful thing he thought he had ever felt in his life, but even then, he eventually let the two Pokemon go, and they stretched their legs, backs and tails in relief.

"Hah!" Mint chuckled to herself, before going into full-blow peals of laughter. "Hahahahahaha! I want to rub it in Sage's face!"

"R-rub what, Mint?" Fern asked, and Darkrai sat his chin in his hands, puzzled slightly.

"We were right! We were right about Darkrai being here all along, and we even made friends with him," Mint explained, a crafty grin on her face. "I just want to go back down there and have Darkrai tag along and show him! Then he'll see!"

"B-But wouldn't he just treat Darkrai... badly?" Fern said back, recoiling as he looked over at the legendary Pokemon in question. "O-oh, I didn't mean-"

"It is fine, Fern." Darkrai put his hand on Fern's side, the ghostly wisps on his head calmly moving back and forth as the softest of winds blew it around. The Shaymin blinked, gasping quietly in recognition; the torrent of emotions in the icy-blue eyes was gone, replaced by a strangely cheerful spark. "But it would be wiser to gather some flowers as well, to prove him wrong on both accounts, correct?"

"You're in on this?" Mint jumped up into the air, hovering low to the ground as she looked at her newfound friend, who nodded in agreement. "But... wait, we can use one of the pots at the station pass!"

"For what?"

"Holding the flowers, doofus!" Mint shook her head around, her ears flopping back and forth. "Hang on, I'll be back before you know it!"

The hotheaded girl swooped up, Fern and Darkrai tracing her movements, before she looped around and sped away, becoming a green-and-white-furred blur as she flew out of the field of flowers.

* * *

**A/N: I'm not sure if I can into writing angst. Despite often playing the listener (a role I gladly take) and adviser I found it hard to pull this one off. Originally I made Darkrai much more emotional but that seemed to go too far into wangst-y territory and that was the opposite of what I wanted, so I dialed it back a lot. Still not sure how well it works out.**


	8. Swamp? Battle in the Trapped Trench!

"Are we there yet?"

"Not if you start up with that," I replied with a nod, wearing a humored grin as I looked down my nose at Erin . She giggled back at me, her whiskers bouncing up and down as she looked at Rose and I from atop Cyan's backpack, her head resting atop her friend's helmet. "And you wouldn't want to give up when we're this close to the center of the woods, would you?"

"Nope!" The Mienshao shook her head wildly, breathing deep of the earthy forest air. The four of us tracked our way through the wild woods, produce growing from nearly every branch, apples of all shapes, colors and sizes. The treasure bag was heavy on my shoulders, full to bursting with the fruit we'd gathered this morning and the day before, and Rose kept pace with me, her tails wagging and ruby eyes bright.

"Are we at leas' close?" Cyan asked, arching his back as he shifted the weight of his backpack around. Erin held on tight to her friend's neck, her loose sleeve of fur dangling near the Samurott's front feet. "We've been marchin' since I woke up at th'little brook."

"We've been making good time, Cyan." Rose sniffed at the ground, smiling as she picked up a fading scent, her ears flicking about excitedly. I playfully reached over and pinched their tips, watching my paws swing up and down, and the fox rolled her eyes at me. "We should be there pretty soon, so we can stop there and have lunch, okay?"

"Lunch, eh?" The Samurott stroked his mustache thoughtfully before pumping a fist in the air. "Never worked with Perfect Apples b'fore. Bring it on, I'll take th'challenge!"

"That's the spirit, you goofball!" Erin cheered with him, throwing a few punches skyward. "I bet it'll taste great with the honey we got from the Oran Forest!"

"Did'ja have t'bring that up again…" Cyan grumbled grumpily, hiding his face in embarrassment. Rose and I took a step back, and I patted Cyan's side comfortingly. He sighed in frustration, wiping his forehead. "Sheesh, I already said I was sorry... still tired, too."

As he put his foot down on a small lump of dirt, a clear sound rang through the air, startling a few nesting Starly out of the higher branches of the rounded, bushy trees. The four of us stopped walking, peering through the woods in search of the source of the noise, as the tone was followed by a medley of notes strung into a simple song. Rose cocked her head, thinking hard.

"I think..." She hopped up onto her hind legs briefly, struggling to keep her balance as she peered into the forest depths. "I think it's coming from the center of the dungeon!"

I grinned confidently, placing one foot in front of the other, posing like I was ready to race off at any moment. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's follow it!"

As we jogged past the hanging branches and some fallen, rotten fruits, the music grew louder and louder, prompting Cyan to perk his head up, his exhaustion fading away, and I felt my eyes widen in surprise as he soon pushed past Rose and I, his horn deflecting droopy vines and other bits of flora as the end of the trail came into sight. A grand, bulky apple tree sprouted high from the dirt, its leaves a dark spring green that contrasted against the rest of the sunlit forest, our view slightly blocked by an old, curving tree.

At the base of the plant, among its roots, was a campfire and wooden spit, and a colorful bird roasted a harvest of Perfect Apples over the open flame. At the sound of the commotion, he craned his head around to stare at us. He shot a toothy grin, light reflecting off of a necklace of baby-blue jewels hanging from his neck.

"Well, well, I didn't expect to see you four kiddos wander into us!"

"Vale?" Rose poked her head out from under my tail as she heard the scratchy voice, and I gave a short wave as the Archeops turned to look up into the high boughs, flapping his yellow plumage a bit as she began to move towards him. "Hey, Vale!"

"Wait, don't do-" The bird yelled in a sudden panic, but it was too late. A bump underneath her paws made her freeze in place, and without warning the bending tree swung backwards, trapping the four of us in a thick net of rope that bounced against the tree trunk. I grunted in pain as Cyan elbowed the back of my head, and I heard an unenthusiastic laugh from Vale. "Haaah... Star, should I get 'em down?"

The music stopped, the last notes of the flute fading softly as a black fox, with thin limbs and a mane of wild red hair, shook the tree as she swung down from one of the branches. She held a small flute in her paws, puffing into it a couple more times before sending a welcoming look our way, fluttering her eyelashes at us as she slipped the simple instrument into a knapsack that hung at her hip. I spotted the star-shaped patches of fur at the edges of her mouth.

"There's a joke I could make here, but I won't," She said, putting a paw on her hips and wagging a claw at us. The Zoroark smiled coyly. "It's been a while, Returners!"

* * *

**Swamp? Battle in the Trapped Trench!**

* * *

"What the heck are you two doing here?" I asked, grabbing a skewer of apple slices that Vale swung towards me with his beak. Cyan and Erin had already gobbled down two helpings shared between them, and I slid a couple of the slightly-charred apples off of the stick, passing them to Rose. The nine-tailed fox accepted the food gratefully, nibbling at the tender fruit. The net trap had been sliced to ribbons and sat forlornly near the apple tree, the scraggly ropes never again to scoop another Pokemon into their grasp. "I thought you two said you were headed back to the southeastern islands."

"We were, actually," Star replied, and I bit into an apple, savoring the crisp taste. "But we caught wind of a treasure hidden around here."

"Don' tell me your still lookin' for human doodads?" Cyan said, flecks of apple flying from his mouth. "I thought you'd b'tired of it by now. I bet most of th'really good stuff's already been discovered."

"Ahh, I've missed your naivete, spikes," Star remarked, reaching over and running a paw down Cyan's helmet. The Samurott grunted, rolling his eyes at his nickname, while Erin giggled, sneaking another skewer of apples away from the fire. "And don't speak with your mouth full."

"Besides, why are you four kids hanging around here, eh?" Vale asked back to us, flapping his wings a bit as he fanned the fire. "We weren't expecting to see any explorers come this way!"

Rose licked her lips, a trail of apple juice dribbling just down her lip. I reached over and wiped it up with my pawspike, and she winked cheerfully at me before responding. "We're on the way to some work, over at Sky Peak. We were going to take the path through Mount Horn, but... well, it's a long story."

"Maybe we should have kept you in the net then," Vale chortled, reaching over and lightly tickling Erin with his feathers, making her drop her swiped food. "Lucky for us you stepped into it, hah! One less danger to worry about!"

"Wait..." I folded my arms in confusion, and Rose looked over at him with a thoughtful expression. "That wasn't yours?"

"For once it wasn't ours, no," Star answered, gesturing with her head towards the mystery dungeon. "You've heard about the dragon that lives around here, right?"

Erin stopped just short of retrieving her stick, Rose's jaw dropped in surprise, and I felt myself grow tense as I covertly glanced over my shoulder, looking suspiciously at the empty trail. Both the Zoroark and the Archeops seemed amused by our reaction, judging from their stifled laughter. Cyan's eyes were wide as he spoke our thoughts. "You're sayin' there's a dragon livin' around here!?"

"Relaaax, relaaax, it's not any kind of super-strong dragon." Star looked nonchalantly at us, leaning back and licking the fruit juice from her claws. Vale moved away from the fire, rolling a raw apple between his wings before digging into it, biting and pecking voraciously. "I'm surprised you kids didn't know, honestly!"

"Well, we don't really get much of a chance to go hunting for treasure, Star," I said with a shrug.

"Aww, are the guild-goers always so swamped with work?" She lightly teased us in response, playfully wiggling her paws at us before shaking her head, her hair waving wildly. "It's just a Gabite. He lives inside of the Labyrinth Cave, just close by."

"And I'm guessing he's the one who guards the treasure, right? Raaar!" Erin imitated her elder, hopping up on one foot and waving her arms around as she roared, playing the part of the Gabite. "Arr! None of you are gonna steal from my hoard!"

Vale smirked, getting a running start and flapping his wings, grabbing the Mienshao's sleeves with his talons and lifting her up in the air. Erin yelped cheerfully as her feet left the ground, swinging back and forth as her ears blew backward from the force of Vale's flight. The bird laughed with her. "You'll have to do better than that, Erin!"

Cyan quietly munched on his meal as he watched the two play, and Rose and I gave each other a mutual look of concern before turning back to look at Star. The Zoroark had taken her flute out and was about to string off a few notes, but Rose interrupted as she spoke her thoughts. "So... the Gabite is the one who set the trap? Why does he have them set up so far from the cavern?"

"To test Pokemon who want to find the treasure, of course!" Star reached for the torn ropes, holding it just under her nose as she tugged it taut. Her eyes flicked towards the Ninetales, who was digging lightly at the dirt. "Why do you ask?"

"Well..." Rose started, looking up at the older fox. "You and Vale know more about seeing traps than Bill or I do."

"And all six of us are headed in the same direction right now," I added. "So..."

"Oh?" Understanding dawned in Star's eyes after a few seconds, and she threw us a seductive gaze, flashing the red stars at each end of her smile. "Ohhhh... I see where you're going with this."

"Right," I replied, folding my arms as I glanced at Vale and Erin out of the corner of my eye. Cyan had decided to join them in their goofing-off, plucking slices of apple off of the last of the sticks and launching them at his friend, who tried to catch them as Vale flew her around. "It's probably for the best if we work together on the way through the cave."

"And what exactly will Vale and I get out of this, hm?" Star leaned back until she was laying against her hair, which provided her a cushion against the ground. I rolled my eyes, but Rose gave her a small smile in return.

"If you want us to help you with the Gabite, we'll be glad to lend a paw," She said, and the two foxes nodded in agreement. "Though, if you don't mind me asking, what treasure is the Gabite guarding?"

"I was wondering when I'd hear it, hah," Star replied with a chuckle, twirling her flute around in her claws. With a light toss, the spinning instrument flew up into the air, and the Zoroark caught it on the way down. "You wanna know what the treasure is, huh?"

"You're not old enough to have your hearing going, Star," I quipped, kicking some dirt onto the dying fire to put the ashes out. "C'mon, what's the deal?"

"I'll tell you kids when you get to the cave, alright?" She played a couple notes on her flute before rolling onto her feet, a grin on her face. "Vale! Let's head out!"

"Alrighty!" The Archeops bellowed, and with a mighty swoop he tossed Erin into the air. She laughed as she went up and then down, landing on top of Cyan's backpack in a heap. "Grab on and we'll get goin'!"

The Zoroark did a few quick stretches before striding forward and jumping high, clasping her paw around one of her partner's talons. As the two rose higher and higher above the forest, Star called out to us, raising her voice above the gale. "If you're really going to help out, head to the cave, and we'll meet up there!"

"But wait! Star!" Rose called back, staring at the receding figures. "I thought we were going to travel together!

"We are!" She could barely be heard as the pair of Pokemon rose above the canopy. "But you never said anything about the forest!"

Rose opened her mouth to answer back, but stopped short to consider Star's words, frowning lightly. I chuckled, reaching over to tousle the Ninetales' headfur, and she leaned into my paw, nuzzling the spike jutting out of it. Cyan and Erin both waved quietly, the latter standing on her tip-toes as the center of the woods grew silent. A few, unripe Perfect Apples hung from the very top of the grand tree, waiting for the mystery dungeon to warp itself and force another fresh crop into existence. As I took a step forward, my foot collided with something long and bristled. I looked down at the pile of ropes, a bunch of sticky skewer sticks mixed in with the fibers, and sighed, rubbing at my temples.

"Nice of them to leave us with the clean-up duty."

* * *

The trail under our paws grew hot as the great trees began to turn yellow, hard rocks and leafy patches marking off pathways through the woods as the four of us made our way through the foliage. The crumbly, dried-out dirt did little to help our progress, as tall, weedy sprouts scratched at our knees, hiding sharpened pebbles that dug into our heels as we waded through the humid understory. Rose and I had taken point, with Cyan and Erin just behind us.

"Be careful, guys," Rose said, her head flicking about every so often as she peered around the thicket. "Take it slow and watch where you step."

"But there's can't be too many traps out here, right?" Erin piped up, cocking her head as she pushed some plants out of her way. I looked over my shoulder at the young explorer, who ducked under the branches that glanced against Cyan's helmet.

"Probably none that are very complicated, anyway," I answered, walking through a pair of snapped, hollow trees, forming an odd, natural gate. Erin leaped over them from her perch, while Cyan simply crawled under them.. "Just tread lightly."

"I think it'd b'hard t'tread lightly with all this stuff in front o'us," Cyan remarked, his nose twitching as he looked up. A couple Starly snoozed, nesting in the trees above us. "We're makin' more noise than Chatot on a bad day, uurp!"

He let out a brief belch, and Erin giggled at her friend. Rose peered at the two out of the corner of her eye, sniffing at the dirt carefully.

"Cyan, could you try to not do that? I'm having enough trouble as it is picking up a..." The Ninetales trailed off as her eyes widened, and she began to sniff deeply at the forest floor. "Wait. Do you guys smell that?"

"Smell-" I stopped dead in my tracks, touching down on a thin layer of dead leaves. Too thin, in fact, as one of my legs sank deep into the ground, and I fell into a muddy sinkhole, yelping as I slapped against the viscous glop. "Blurp!"

"Bill?" Rose's voice was muffled as the mud rose above my ears, and I felt two sets of paws yank strongly on the treasure bag, dragging me out of the grime. As Cyan and Erin stepped away, I pushed myself to my knees and shook my body to clean myself off, feeling as the gooey dirt flew off of my tail, ears and aura tassels. "A mud pit...?"

The stench of the sun-warmed glop made my stomach churn, and I rubbed my eyes, wiping off the rest of my face. "Weeds, mud, hot sun. We're off to a great start!"

"But this isn't even a very dangerous trap," Rose thought aloud, easing herself into the stinky patch of mud. Her fur stood on end as she grimaced. "And it'd take so long to set one up, especially with the mystery dungeon shifting around."

"Maybe the Gabite jus' wants t'slow Pokemon down?" Cyan offered. As I rose to my feet, the large Samurott moved past us, bits of grime dotting his armor and belly. More and more sunlight was beginning to shine down on the sinkhole, exacerbating the already-hot temperature, and I began to pant as the heat got to me. Rose pressed up against my side, and we leaned against each other as we began to walk again.

Time seemed to crawl to a standstill as we forced our way through the forest, which grew thicker and sludgier with every step we took. Leaves and bunches of unripe apples stuck fast to the stuff, sinking into the depths as the mud engulfed them. We traveled single-file, Erin standing carefully atop Cyan's hiking backpack, keeping her eyes low and ahead for anything that could bring on more trouble.

"This stuff's startin' t'get pretty solid," Cyan remarked idly, strongly striding forward through the shallow trench. "It's gettin' a lot harder for me t'move."

"We'll take forever to get through here at this rate..." Rose said, nosing at a bit of dirt that clung to her front leg. "The mud's just too thick. We need to make it more watery."

"Water sounds simple enough," I replied. "Cyan, think you could try and thin up the trail with a water gun?"

"Th'whole thing?" The Samurott exclaimed, reaching up to stroke his mustache before thinking better of it. Erin noticed, playfully pulling at her own tiny whiskers. Cyan didn't notice. "Well... I could give it a shot!"

"That's the spirit, silly!" Erin cheered her friend on. "Go for it!"

As Cyan took a deep breath, Rose and I stepped back a bit to give him room to work. With a puff of his chest and a mighty heave, the water type let loose a concentrated stream of water from his mouth, his eyes narrowed into a focused glare. The pit bubbled and burbled as the water mixed with the gooey sludge, and the engulfed flora floated to the surface. I felt cool, fresh water swirl around my legs, loosening the mud that surrounded the four of us, and after a few tense minutes, the entire muddy trench had become a cloudy, muddy river.

"Whoo..." Cyan ceased his attack, gasping for air, and I waded through the water to stroke his side. He breathed heavily, wheezing as he reached up to rub at his forehead. "Ugh... m'throat hurts."

"Then don't talk," I chuckled, and Rose trotted past us, narrowing her eyes as she looked at the path ahead.

"This can't be the only trap set up here," She muttered to herself, the tips of her nine tails dipping into the river and sending ripples across the surface. "But I guess we've dealt with one now, right?"

"Right." I nodded, giving her a thumbs up and a grin, and she smiled back at me with confident eyes.

"Wheeeee!" Erin yelled cheerfully, jumping off of Cyan's backpack and cannonballing into the muddy river, laughing as she flailed about. "C'mooooon, let's keep going!"

She began to swim away from us, her sleeves dragging through the dirty water as the pink-furred Pokemon kicked her feet, laying on her back as she moved down the river. As Cyan, Rose and I began to follow her, she shot up with a start, wincing in pain as she rubbed her head. "Ow..."

"Whatcha do, hit a rock, Erin?" Cyan rasped, coughing a bit as he drew his seamitar, trawling it through the water, and it made a soft clink as it hit a large, sunken stone. "Huh! How 'bout that."

"Be careful..." I started to say, but the Samurott dismissed Rose and I with a wave of his paw.

"It's jus' a rock, Bill! Lighten up a li'l bit!" He rolled his eyes in a grumpy huff, sheathing his blade and clapping his front paws together. Erin pouted unhappily, frowning at the source of her mild ache.

"Dumb rock!" She hopped up and childishly kicked the rock, wincing again as she reflexively grabbed her foot, which now also throbbed in pain. "Owww!"

The Mienshao hopped about wildly on one foot, whining loudly as she bounced through the water, and Rose's eyes widened in fear as the young girl dropped her guard. "Erin, stop! You could set off a-"

A loud click sent a slight rumble through the river, the ground shifting under our feet as a few bubbles of air escaped from the river floor, popping around the lean pink mink as she immediately came to a halt. Nobody moved a muscle as the river drifted back to its peaceful, grimy self.

A flash of light suddenly blasted out and the sound of a powerful gust of wind rushed past our ears, and I scrunched my eyes shut, lashing my arms out in blindness. Rose breathed hard, grunting as she stood her ground, and both Cyan and Erin seemed to cry out in surprise, the latter splashing about again as she fell over into the river. As our senses returned, I lowered my paws and cracked my eyelids open, reaching over and tousling Rose's headfur as she let out a concerned sigh. "One thing after another, huh?"

"H-hey!" Erin called out, blinking a few times as she regained her vision, and she gasped, getting to her feet. "What the heck!?"

A Breloom and a Pinsir stood wide-eyed in the water, confused and panicked from their abrupt summoning, and their eyes latched onto us, feral growls escaping their throats. Cyan drew his blades while Erin scampered back over to us, trying to wring the water out of her sleeves, and I put up my fists, gritting my teeth as Rose readied a blast of fire in her throat. The two wild Pokemon stomped towards us, sending small waves across the trench as they readied an attack, the Breloom shaking his mushroom cap and the Pinsir gnashing his pincers together.

The Breloom swung forward, sending a stretchy punch my way, and I hunched low to the ground, ducking under the appendage as it stopped just short of my head. Thinking quick, I grabbed onto the red, pointy claws and let my feet rise from the riverbed, and I sped towards the wild Pokemon as his elastic arm pulled me towards him. We both crashed into each other and tumbled into the water, and I landed a good kick on the mushroom Pokemon's chest before jumping away.

As Erin hastily tied one of her sleeves into a sling, the Pinsir screeched and began to charge at us, meeting Cyan halfway as he blocked the blow with a swing of his arm, the spikes on the pincers lightly cutting into his paw. Rose spat a gout of flames towards the Breloom, but he simply dove into the river and rose again, having taken little damage from the dangerous attack. He roared angrily, sending both his arms towards us in response, and the two of us found his claws smash into us, sending us onto our backsides. I grunted in pain, dabbing at the bleeding gash at my side, while Rose looked over at our two companions, trying her best not to let any of the dirty water get into the cut on her leg.

"Cyan!" The Ninetales yelled over the din as the sea lion struggled for dominance against the Pinsir, his blades bouncing off of the powerful pincers as they dug into the Samurott's helmet. "Raise your head!"

"What?" He replied, confused, and he poked at the bug with stabs of his seamitars. "Why?"

"Just lift him up before he does it to you!" Rose ordered firmly, and as Cyan hoisted the Pinsir out of the river, Rose roared out a huge line of flames, directly colliding with the bug type's body. The giant stag beetle cried out as his shell was charred, and Cyan stuck his shell blades into the dirt, grunting as he pried the Pinsir off of his helmet.

Picking myself up, I formed a sphere of aura between my paws, tossing it at the Breloom to ward him off. Erin finally joined the fray, helping me keep our opponent at bay with a volley of pebbles. "Get outta here, you overgrown mushroom!"

The stones and spheres did little, though, as said overgrown mushroom either smacked the pebbles away with his claws or kept hold of them to toss at the aura spheres, effectively neutralizing them. Cyan let out a hearty bellow, rising onto his hind legs as he lifted the fainted Pinsir over his head. He glared at the Breloom, flinging the beetle's body at him. "Didn't ya hear her? Get outta here!"

The Pokemon projectile smashed right onto the Breloom's head, the incredibly heavy weight knocking the grass type unconscious instantly, and the two dropped underneath the water, the murky river beginning to settle itself as the skirmish ended. After a few moments, the four of us let out a groan, our adrenaline running out as our wounds began to ache. Erin took a roll of bandages out of her belt pouch, which thankfully had kept them nice and dry.

"Oooh, that's a nasty one!" The Mienshao cooed as she strolled up to me, and I passed the treasure bag to Rose as Erin wrapped the gauze around my midsection. The faded material was quickly stained red from the blood, but the wound already seemed to feel somewhat better without the swampy air biting at it. "C'mere, Rose, you next!"

As Erin knelt down to tend to the fox's leg, Cyan took off his helmet, letting his ears wiggle freely as he looked at the armor's horn. He let out a grumpy wheeze of frustration before jamming it back onto his head. "Dammit all, th'Pinser took a few chunks outta the thing!"

"Relax, bud, you can try and fix it up when we get out of here," I reached over and tapped my paw against his arm, my pawspike dinging on his armor. "As long as Erin doesn't kick any more rocks, we should make it through the rest of this in no time!"

"Hey!" Erin pouted, and Rose smiled, leaning over and lightly brushing her tails against the Mienshao's back, tickling her. "Hee-eey!"

"There's no telling what might be coming up," Rose said, and I looked into the thicket, slinging the treasure bag back over my shoulders. The Ninetales moved ahead of us, and slowly we began to pick up the pace. "Let's go a bit more carefully, okay?"

* * *

The sun had long-since vanished behind the rock wall as we trudged our way towards the entrance to the Labyrinth Cave, the sky a dull orange as the last of the tall trees finally gave way to the mountain range. Dry, sand-colored stone rose into the clouds, reaching towards a couple of the stars that heralded the end of the evening. I brushed at my bandages, somewhat wet from the travel, and Cyan and Erin moved towards a Kangaskhan Stone that sat just a few paces into the tunnel, breathing hard as they collapsed against the travel monument.

"Haah... ugh," Cyan groaned, shaking his head he lay completely flat against the cool stone. Mud and grime caked his paws and armor, and he struggled to even look at us, his eyes bloodshot and his expression tired. "Spendin' time with you three's made me soft... can't even go a single battle without feelin' like th'wind's taken outta me."

"Nah..." I grinned and shook my head, moving over to the Samurott and sitting down nearby, hissing softly as the bandages pressed against my ribs uncomfortably. My fur was matted and the odd mix of cream and brown made it look like I hadn't washed for days; Rose didn't look much better, her tails not even wagging as they dragged limply against the dusty ground. "I don't blame you. That was way tougher than I expected."

"Yeah," My partner agreed, giving my wound a once-over before gently pressing up against my less-damaged side. She glanced at the ceiling before turning back to us. "Whoever this Gabite is, he's much more cunning than Star and Vale let on."

"Oh really?" Star's voice echoed around us from deeper into the cave, and we turned our heads to look into the gloomy darkness. The lanky Zoroark held her flute in one paw and her knapsack in the other, a confident bounce to her step as she came into view. She stopped as she finally began to take in the sight of the four of us, and her eyes widened in dampened shock. "Woah... you weren't kidding."

"Good to see you and Vale made it here in once piece," I greeted dryly, laying my paws in my lap. Star strode the last few paces over to us, flinging her knapsack onto the ground as she started to root through her supplies. "Where is he, anyway?"

"Scouting," She answered simply, looking over her shoulder and playing a few strong notes on her flute. The discordant tune rang into the empty passage, and she shoved the instrument into a pocket of the sack. "That should get him back here soon enough."

"Why's he scoutin' if th'mystery dungeon's jus' goin' t'change shape?" Cyan asked, and the black fox let out a quiet 'aha!' as she pulled out a small leather canteen.

"Because I'd like to know what else is in there," She undid the stopper from the neck of the rounded bottle, passing it to Erin with a silky smile. "Here, Erin. Have a little and then pass it around."

"Okay!" Despite her exhaustion, Erin still managed to perk up a cheerful smile in response, and she squeezed the sides of the canteen, tipping her head back as the near-colorless drink flowed easily down her gullet. After a few seconds of guzzling down the drink, I reached over and pulled it back up, gently tugging it out of the young Pokemon's grasp. "Mm... Tastes yummy!"

I raised the canteen to my lips and took a brief swig of the liquid. Cold tea, slightly sweet and slightly bitter, ran across my tongue, the mild brew helping to ease my mind and relax my muscles. I handed it back to Erin and gestured for her to help Rose get a share. Star leaned back comfortably against her hair, watching as the Mienshao poured the canteen.

"Star, I'm back!" Vale crowed as he swooped out of the cavern, a nervous smile on his face as he shivered slightly. "And the kids got here too! That's good."

"Find anything?" She replied as the Archeops fluttered to a stop on top of Cyan's hiking bag, coughing a bit as he cleared his throat.

"Nothing particularly strange, nope," He said, looking at the five of us from his higher perch. "The traps look like they're not as frequent, so we might have a clear shot for the Gabite's scale-"

"Scale?" Rose interrupted, cocking her head in confusion. "The treasure you're hunting is one of the Gabite's scales?"

"Hey, this isn't just any old hunk of junk, missy." Vale matter-of-factly wagged one of his wings at her. "The scales of a Gabite can be used in medicine! It'd fetch a good price if we sold it."

"Maybe we should use it to heal ourselves after what we dealt with today," I chuckled, patting my side as softly as I could to avoid hurting myself. Star and Vale looked over at Rose and I expectantly. "We really could have used your help, y'know."

"Looks like you took a beating..." Vale finally noticed our wounds and bandages, hopping to the ground and tapping his talons against the rock. "What'd you all run into?"

"The net, a mud pit, hot sun..." I listed, counting off my pawpads as I rubbed at my chin in mock contemplation. "Watery mud, wild Pokemon, cuts and bruises, rocks. Rose, what am I forgetting?"

"Oh, cut it out," She laughed lightly, batting at one of my aura tassels with her nose before looking at the two older Pokemon. "But... well, yeah, Bill's not lying. We weren't expecting to have to go through a swamp today."

"...sorry about that, you four," Star apologized, reaching over and affectionately bonking me on the head before scratching Rose behind her ear. Vale flapped his wings a bit, sending a cool blast of wind over our bodies. "Tell you what, where are you headed after this? The path through Mount Travail, right?"

"Right," Rose confirmed, her tails finally getting some life back into them as they began to wave up and down. "We're going through Mount Travail, across the cliffs south to Sky Peak."

A snore punctuated the end of Rose's statement, and Star smiled slyly as Cyan and Erin snoozed the day's events away. The canteen of tea sat in Erin's lap, and the Zoroark retrieved it and replaced the stopper, slipping it back into her knapsack.

"Well, then, how about Vale and I help you across the mountain, hm?" She offered, flashing the star-shaped fur patches around her mouth. "You help us through the cave and help us get the Gabite's scale, and we'll help you get to where you're going."

Rose and I rolled the deal around in our heads; it was a good one, and both Star and Vale knew it. With their help, getting through both the Labyrinth Cave and across the mountain would be a breeze. As the night sky began to shine with the light of the moon, I shot the fox and the bird a nod and a smirk. "Sounds good to me."

"It'd certainly make up for today, if nothing else," Rose agreed, yawning as she finished speaking. "Hoo... sorry."

"Go ahead and get some rest, kiddos." Vale smiled kindly at us, flopping over and sinking his head deep into his companion's hair. "We'll need it for tomorrow!"

"Sleep easy," Star said, snapping her claws, and the cavern entrance was silent, save for Cyan and Erin. My partner yawned again and scooted herself a bit closer to me, her warm body temperature aiding the tea in making me feel incredibly drowsy. I slid down the stone wall until my head hit the bottom, and I closed my eyes, feeling the Ninetales cuddle up to me as her breathing grew stable.

"We've got a big day ahead of us, huh?" Rose whispered into my ear, and I exhaled heavily, wrapping an arm around her torso.

"Just don't get up in the middle of the night to worry, alright?" I teased, and she licked my cheek.


	9. Dreams! Just a Lazy Day

_The next morning..._

* * *

A few lazy Spearow chirped in surprise as the late morning light rousted them from their slumber, the sun illuminating the remains of the previous day's rainstorm as light reflected off of every droplet. Darkrai didn't seem to notice them, staring up into the sky as he stopped picking Gracideas, and the birds' sudden rush from the rocks in a hasty search for food made the legendary Pokemon jump, ever-so-slightly, in surprise. Mint and Fern gathered flowers just a few steps away, the pot of Gracideas sitting nearby, and the latter gave his friend a soft smile, watching as the flock flew away from the valley into the lower parts of Sky Peak. He waded through the field, his floppy ears waving around, and stopped at Darkrai's legs.

"Are you okay, Darkrai?" He asked sweetly, blinking at the dark type. Darkrai shook himself out of his stupor, wiping his brow before peering over at the white-furred Shaymin. "How many flowers do you have?"

"How..." Darkrai muttered before slipping a hand into his cloak, pulling out a small bundle of blooming plants. Fern frowned slightly as he noticed the twisted, drying roots spiraling off of the ends of the stems. "I believe that this is... six."

"Six Gracideas?" The Shaymin asked, looking up at the legendary Pokemon, who had a slightly-hurt expression in his eyes. Fern shook his head quickly, hovering up to Darkrai's hand and taking the flowers, holding the stems between his teeth. He patted the dark type's shoulder with a free paw. "Mmhm!"

"Eh? Someone call me?" Mint said at the noise, looking over her shoulder at the two of them. Her friend lowered himself to the ground and trotted over, daintily slipping Darkrai's haul into the ceramic container. Aside from a small amount of dirt that the flowers rested in, the pot was a mass of green and soft pink, the petals soaking up the warm sunlight and the cool mountain air. "Hey! That's a pretty good amount of Gracideas we have now!"

"I never would have guessed that picking flowers would be as difficult as it seems to be," Darkrai remarked, taking a few steps forward as he adjusted the fit of his star-pattered cloak. "My arms feel weak."

"You're tired, Darkrai?" Mint said, cocking her head. "Sheesh, why didn't you say so earlier, doofus? Let's bring this dumb old pot back to the big tree and then we can take a break!"

The trio made their way towards the other end of the valley, the thick, healthy leaves and wide branches creating an inviting patch of shade at the base of the trunk. The cloudless sky gave the bright sun full reign to shine down on the mountain, and as the morning began to heat up, Mint, Fern and Darkrai slipped the flowerpot into a snug gap between a tree root and the loamy soil, and they sighed in relief as they relaxed against the hard bark of the tree.

"It's really pretty today, isn't it?" Fern remarked, looking out at the sea on the east horizon. "It's like the storm was never even here."

"It is... quite peaceful." Darkrai closed his eyes and breathed, clasping his hands together as he let his fatigue run its course. "But I believe one of us does not share the same appreciation."

"Huh?" Fern looked over at Darkrai in confusion, but Mint picked up on the trail straightaway, hopping up and doing a little twirl in the air, grumbling to herself. "Oh..."

"Hey, shut up! That's a low blow, Darkrai!" Mint replied gruffly, but sighed and returned to the ground, rolling her eyes. "Uurgh... but you're right, I'm bored. You can take a break if you want but sitting like this just makes me feel antsy!"

As the hotheaded Shaymin paced around, Fern thought to himself, batting at his scarf-like petals with a paw. The Spearow from before had returned to their nests around the field, some resting on the rocks while a few preferred the cool darkness of the great tree, their brown feathers blending in with the bark, hiding them well.

"Hide and seek?" He blurted out, and both Mint and Darkrai perked their heads up to look at him. He shrank back, sitting down on Darkrai's cloak. "U-um... maybe w-we could play hide and seek?"

Mint's eyes lit up, a grin forming on her muzzle. "Yeah, that's a great idea, Fern! You be it first, I'll go hide!"

Before he could protest, the girl had already bounded into the air and flown far away, obscuring herself from view, and with a sigh, Fern turned around and looked straight at the tree trunk, beginning to count off numbers. "One... two... three..."

* * *

**Dreams! Just a Lazy Day...**

* * *

Mint breathed as quietly as she could. The sun was warm, the wind was cool, and the flowers tickled her as she lay as flat as she could on the dirt, the stems brushing against her nose and paws. A slight shadow fell over her face, and she sucked in a breath, holding still. The silence was deafening, and she could feel her heart beating against the dirt.

"M-Mint...? Is that you?" Fern whispered quietly, and Mint gritted her teeth.

"Errrgh!" She swooped up, grumbling unhappily as she locked eyes with her friend, who gave her a slight smile. "Fine, you found me!"

"Alright," Fern replied, the two of them slowly hovering back towards the tree where Darkrai rested. "So, it's y-your turn to seek..."

"Oh, this stopped being fun real quick! We've already used up all the good hiding spots!" Mint rolled her eyes, frowning as she turned and looked around the field. "Under those roots, hidden in the flowers, up on a rockier part of the mountain..."

"But what else can we play up here, Mint?" Fern asked innocently, blinking in thought. His eyes trailed on the pot of flowers nearby, still stuck firmly in a tree root. "Maybe we could look out and see if we can see anything in the distance today?"

"Playing 'I see' isn't fun when we know we'll never get to see it any closer, Fern," Mint said with the faintest trace of bitterness, touching down and stomping her feet in the grass. Darkrai opened his eyes, watching and listening as the two Shaymin began to nestle themselves atop his billowing cloak. "Besides, what else can we do now?"

Darkrai coughed and leaned back, unfolding his arms to pat Mint's head. "What is the problem?"

"Hide and seek is boring!" The girl stated plainly, rolling onto her back and throwing a few playful bashes at the air, bopping lightly at the dark type's fingers.

"So soon after you began?" He asked, the stars on his cloak winking sprightly in thinly-veiled merriment. He could barely feel her soft little paws smacking at his hand. "What occurred to make you bored again?"

"Um... we both know all the good hiding spots here, Darkrai," Fern explained, curling up on the legendary Pokemon's opposite side, and he looked over at the younger Shaymin. "When you know all the good places already, it gets really silly to play."

Good places...? Darkrai sat up straighter, his eyes focusing as he looked around the peaceful valley. The flowers, grass and shade waved in the wind, while the higher rocks and unstable cliffs marked the path leading down the mountain. "Where are these good places to hide?"

"You don't know 'em?" Mint quirked an eyebrow upward in disbelief. "Were you even watching us play?"

"No, I wasn't," Darkrai replied, deftly dodging one of Mint's play-attacks and reaching down to rub her belly. "I am not sure what you are playing in the first place."

"You don't!?" The girl screeched, shooting up into the air in shock. Her surprise quickly changed, however, forming into a devious smile. "Man... you really don't know anything, huh?"

"Mint," Fern chided his friend, looking downward as Darkrai heaved out an unhappy sigh. "C-c'mon, don't bring that up..."

"No, you two doofuses, this is a good thing!" Mint pressed her face into Darkrai's, staring at him right in his widened eyes. The legendary Pokemon shrank back into the tree, breathing a little quicker as he tried to push Mint away from him. "You can play hide and seek with us, and we'll have a better time since you don't know any of the places around here!"

"I... I understand?" Darkrai's agreement sounded more like a question to Fern, but Mint didn't seem to care, judging from the competitive shake of her ears. "What shall I do, then?"

"Okay, here's how the game works, Darkrai!" Mint placed an authoritative paw on her chest, raising her head a bit in the air as she cleared her throat. Darkrai rose to his feet, dusting a few stray strands of fur off of his clothes. "You turn around and count to ten, and don't look back to see where Fern and I go! Once you get to ten, you start looking for us!"

"You go..." The legendary Pokemon rubbed at his head, taking a deep breath as he calmed himself. The fresh scent of the growing Gracideas soothed his mind. "But where do you go?"

"Don't worry, Darkrai," Fern said reassuringly, hopping into the air and looking over at his friend. "We won't go very far... we'll stay around in the valley, right, Mint?"

"Aww, alright, fine..." The girl grumbled to herself before also taking to the wind, doing a loop in the air as she called out to her two companions. "Okay, Darkrai! Turn around and count to ten, and don't peek, got it?"

Wordlessly, the tall figure turned around, staring unblinkingly at the thick bark of the great tree, and he folded his arms, his thick sleeves catching the breeze as they began to wrinkle and flap about noisily. Satisfied, Mint caught an updraft and swooped away, leaving Fern alone with the newly-appointed seeker, the light beginning to wane a bit as the sun drifted across the sky, behind the heavy branches.

"Darkrai... you don't have to play with us if you don't want to, you know?" Fern began, but the dark type waved him away, glancing at him out of the corner of his icy-blue eyes. "Uh?"

"One... two..." Darkrai raised his voice as he began to count, an oddly placid expression plastered on his face. "Three... four..."

Fern's confusion morphed into excitement and then panic as he scrambled away, jumping a few times before flying around the field, heading every which way as he looked for a good place to hide. Darkrai's voice rang loud and clear across the field as the great tree grew a little smaller in Fern's vision. He couldn't see Mint anywhere. Five, six, seven...

Ah, there! Near the path down the mountain! That looked perfect!

Slowly landing on the tall grass, he settled himself into his little hiding spot, pulling his legs and paws in as much as he could as he made himself look as small as possible. He allowed himself a small grin as Darkrai reached ten, feeling the tall grass tickle his fur. "Can you hear me? Mint? Fern? I have finished counting!"

"Go ahead, Darkrai, you can start looking now!" Fern called back on instinct, yelling at the top of his lungs so his friend could hear him. He didn't realize his folly until a few seconds later, when he heard the sound of shuffling nearby. "Oh..."

The little Shaymin quieted his breath as the movement grew closer, and he tried to puff out his green fur as much as possible, trying to camouflage himself within the foliage. The bright blue sky hung above him, the sunlight warming him up as the day passed into the afternoon, and he shut his eyes, holding still as Darkrai's wispy head came into view, looking the opposite way.

"Fern?" He spoke gently, still walking forward as he looked around the small crevice, the path leading to the station pass dry and cracked as the mud baked in the sun. He spun around and looked behind him, not looking where he was going.

Fern winced as Darkrai's legs bopped into his nose, and he gasped as the legendary Pokemon tripped over him, the thick patch of tall grass cushioning Darkrai's fall as he fell flat on his face. The silken cloak covered up the hedgehog, and Fern squeezed his eyes shut, the shifting cloth leaving trails of lights in his vision. After a few seconds, his friend seemed to stop bumbling around and pushed himself up, rolling onto his side and laying still. Fern peeked his head up from the grass, looking at the dark type, who stared blankly.

"U-um..." Fern stuttered, sucking in a worried breath when Darkrai didn't response. "D-Darkrai...? A-are you okay?"

The tall figure slowly rose until he was sitting straight up, and he blinked, turning to look at the Shaymin. Fern gulped dryly.

"I am... not hurt, no," Darkrai replied, reaching his arms over and picking up the little Pokemon, carefully setting him on his shoulder. Fern held on tightly, digging his paws deep into the fabric to keep himself from sliding back to the ground. "But I believe this means I have found you now."

"Oh, u-uh," Fern stumbled over his words, embarrassed as his friend gave him a bit of a teasing look; the cheery expression seemed to fit him like a glove. "Y-yeah, you're right."

"Then," The dark type abruptly rose to his full height, and Fern gulped as the ground became a little more distant. Darkrai started to walk at a thoughtful pace, his eyes occasionally flicking backwards to make sure that Fern wasn't having trouble staying on. "Does this mean that you will help me find Mint? Or are you simply to return to the tree and wait?"

The innocent question boggled Fern's head, and his mind raced as he tried to figure out how to explain the simple rules of hide and seek. The sheer simplicity of the game eluded him, and he looked over at the horizon, intently watching at the foggy surface below. "Uuuhhhh..."

"Ah, is that her?" Darkrai cut him off, not that he could have answered anyway, and began to stride across the field. Fern was shocked out of his trance as the speed jostled him around, and he let go of the shoulder of the cloak, catching a tailwind and soaring above his friend's head. His petal-scarf flapped about as he kept pace with the taller Pokemon, sailing up and down in a wavy pattern. Letting the breeze carry him past Darkrai, Fern descended and landed in a tiny circle of pale flowers and flower buds, the young plants seemingly waiting for their time to shine, holding strong against the mountain winds. "Let's see..."

"Where her?" Fern babbled incoherently, and he lifted up a hind leg, scratching hard at his ear in an attempt to smack some sense into his head. "E-erm, sorry... where did you see her here?"

Darkrai was leaning forward, brushing back the flowers with his hands as he scanned each and every inch of the lush soil. "I thought I could see something bright red here. Mint must be nearby, correct?"

"I... don't think so, Darkrai," Fern said slowly, shaking his head as he looked at the flowers, their delicate color becoming blindingly bright from the afternoon sun. Movement caught his eye, and he watched as his friend rose, holding a plump red berry with a curly stem between two of his fingers. "See? It was just a cheri berry. This must be a little spot of cheri sprouts."

"Cheri berry...?" Darkrai rolled the round fruit around in his hand, and Fern jumped up and hovered near his shoulder to get a better look. "It looks like the fruits from the cavern. I did not realize they could grow up here."

"They... oh, um, yes, they do. Be careful, cheri are spicy," Fern replied, panting a bit as he lowered himself onto Darkrai's shoulder again, and he took the berry's stem into his mouth as Darkrai passed it over to him for safekeeping. As he rested, Darkrai began to amble away, peering across the valley in search of their friend. "I bet Mint would like it."

"Where could she have hidden herself?" The dark type muttered under his breath, stopping in the center of the field and slowly spinning in a circle. He rolled up his sleeves and brought a hand to his forehead, narrowing his icy eyes as he searched for any sign of the Shaymin. Green grass, pink plants, slate-gray stone and the massive tree were all that he could see. "Could she have flown up above the cliffs?"

"I 'unno," Fern shook his head, trying his best to speak through his teeth. "But I bet going up to them would give us a better look!"

"Very well then," Darkrai said, lowering his arm and taking a deep breath. His cloak billowed in the wind. "Hold on to the cloak as tightly as you can!"

Fern had no time to respond as the legendary Pokemon broke into a sprint, the air rushing past them, wooshing in their ears as the rounded cliffs slowly overtook the sky, and with a mighty leap Darkrai bounded into the air, landing on a grassy outcropping jutting out from the side of the mountain. Another jump kept up the momentum, bringing them to a higher platform, and the two moved from ridge to ridge. Fern let go after the initial shock, flying alongside Darkrai, and the two swiftly made their way up to the top of the cliffside, the field of flowers far below. The air seemed colder, and thinner, too, and the Shaymin shivered, nuzzling up to his friend's cloak.

"Ah, you were correct, Fern." Darkrai pointed outward, a note of triumph in his voice. Fern followed the finger with his eyes, settling on a small figure sitting at the very tippy-top of the great tree. "She chose to hide herself in a place we could not find her without climbing up... clever."

"That doesn't seem very fair..." Fern dropped the cheri berry to the ground as he mumbled, kicking a few pebbles off of the cliffs. They clattered down the ridges. "I could see her if I flew, but..."

"I did bring us up here, did I not?" Darkrai shot back, squatting down and tenderly stroking Fern's back. "Perhaps she underestimated me."

Fern nodded, smiling brightly from the ticklish sensation on his fur, and Darkrai cupped his other hand to his mouth, calling out. "Mint! We can see you hiding up there!"

Mint didn't seem to hear them, continuing to stay still as she stared out towards the far distance, the foggy landscape below mixing with the southern sea. The hedgehog seemed to have seated herself atop a sturdy patch of leaves, simply watching as the faraway waves crashed up against the ground, and as Darkrai's bellow fell on deaf ears, Fern hopped up, hovering a bit.

"Should I... u-um," Fern began to ask. "I'll go get her and tell her you found her."

Darkrai nodded firmly, sending Fern on his way over to their friend. He let out a short yell to catch Mint's attention, and the figure at the top of the tree seemed to twist in surprise, turning to stare at the other Shaymin in surprise. The two conversed briefly before Mint pulled Fern over to her, roughly shoving him around and excitedly pointing out towards where she had been looking before. Their chatter could barely be heard above the strengthening winds.

"Mint!" Darkrai called out again, waving his arms. "Fern! Over here!"

That worked much better, as Mint zipped right over to the legendary Pokemon, a giddy grin plastered on her muzzle. "Hey, Darkrai! C'mon, follow me, this way!"

Fern began to make his way back to them as the Shaymin girl tugged hard on the end of Darkrai's cloak, causing his legs to move as she guided them over to the southern end of the cliffs, the grassy knoll widening a bit as a small, flat rock sat at the end of the great wall. The smooth surface was inviting, and the three wordlessly lowered themselves onto it, the cool surface serving as a suitable resting spot. Darkrai coughed a bit as a mild chill slipped through the neck of his cloak. "Mint... what has gotten you into such a riled state?"

"You can't see it? Look, look!" She leaned forward on her paws, jabbing out into the southern horizon with her nose. Fern let out a quiet gasp as he began to smile broadly, and Darkrai rolled up his sleeves again, making a face as he strained to find what Mint was trying to show off. Just the fog, the trees, and the sparkling water could be easily seen, though a small chain of islands was just barely visible past it all, darker blotches of color against the sea and sky. "Now?"

"I see nothing but the ocean, Mint," Darkrai spoke quietly, clasping his hands together as he rested them in his lap. "There are islands beyond that, but nothing more."

"Eh? Oh, not there, you doofus!" Mint flew up and brusquely grabbed the sides of Darkrai's head, forcefully turning it at an angle. The deep green tree tried to encroach on his vision, but a much more interesting landmark finally came into view: the half-sphere from the day before, the waterfalls still flowing over the edges of the stone and the water still shimmering in the afternoon sun. The fog that surrounded it had decreased from the day before, and now the structure was clearly visible, a gravity-defying hunk of rock that rose majestically up from the foggy forest, as if it was the king of the trees. "It's the Fogbound Lake! This is the best view I've ever seen of it!"

"Fogbound... Lake?" Darkrai repeated the name over and over in his head, committing it to memory as he continued to stare in awe. "It.. looks to be a beautiful place."

Fern snuggled up to his side, and Darkrai held him close with a hand, keeping them both warm. He could feel the Shaymin's ears through the silk of his cloak, the floppy appendages brushing up against his midsection. "Mint, I thought you said you didn't want to play 'I see'?"

"But today we can actually see the lake, Fern," Mint grumbled with a roll of her eyes. "I'm glad I decided to hide up in the tree!"

"Is the Fogbound Lake special to Shaymin?" Darkrai asked, rubbing his chin in curiosity, and Mint shook her head rapidly, turning around to look at him with her bright green eyes. "Then why...?"

"Ohh-oooooh!" Mint stomped her paws in frustration before reeling herself in, taking a deep breath as she scooted forward and drummed her paws against the rock. "S-sorry, I nearly blew up at you... hmm..."

"Mint and I always got to see the Fogbound Lake whenever we came up for gathering duty, Darkrai," Fern explained slowly, and Darkrai glanced at the young boy out of the corner of his eyes. "It's special to us... it's our dream to go and visit there someday."

"You have not been there?" Darkrai raised his head a little in surprise. "It seems odd to have not, if it is as important to you as you claim."

"Bah, it's not our fault!" Mint grunted testily, trying her best to stay under control. "Shaymin can't leave the village or Sky Peak unless we get kicked out or we leave with an explorer! And Sage is such a cranky jerk that I bet he'd never let us leave anyway!"

"Could you not defy him?" Darkrai casually suggested, gesturing to the foggy forest with his hand. "Or would that be... an evil thing to do?"

Mint let out a long, loud groan, rolling onto her back. "Oh, not this again!"

"N-no, Darkrai, not really evil," Fern picked up where Mint had stopped, peering up at the sky in contentment. "It'd be a bad thing, but not an evil thing. Sage isn't... very nice, but we have to do what he says, or else we won't be able to stay in the village anymore."

Darkrai let out a low hum, staying quiet as he closed his eyes, mulling everything over in his head as he pulled his two Shaymin companions towards him, embracing them tightly as he thought to himself. Mint struggled to get free, while Fern simply wrapped his front legs around his cloak and hugged him back. The legendary Pokemon felt a pleasant inner warmth, even when his mind drifted to this supposed Sage, causing him to curl his hands into fists.

A noise took all three of them off-guard, an odd gurgling that made Fern fall backwards onto the grass and Mint freeze in place. Darkrai lifted his arms, tensing up as he looked around for any sign of an intruder, feeling psychic energy pulse through each and every nerve. Mint brought her paws to her mouth, trying in vain to hide her face as she pursed her lips into a grumpy pout.

"Erk!" She blurted, and her stomach grumbled again, this time much clearer, and Fern peeked his head back up, looking at his friend. She glanced at both of her friends, neither of which seemed to show any kind of reaction in the slightest. "H-hey, stop looking at me like that! It's lunchtime, I'm allowed to be hungry, aren't I?"

"Oh yeah!" Fern blinked and flew a ways away, picking something up and bringing it over. He set the cheri berry down in front of his friend, who greedily devoured it without a second thought. "We found this, uh... okay... then."

"Perhaps we can gather some more of the cheri berries from the field and make a meal of them," Darkrai said, watching as Mint finished chewing, wiping berry juice from her mouth with her paws. Fern nodded in agreement, and the two Shaymin took to the air, hovering just above the ground as they watched the legendary Pokemon rise to his full height. "And after our meal, we shall return to gathering the flowers for your village!"

"So we'll eat, and then we'll go back to picking Gracideas?" Mint muttered, more to herself than her two companions, and she got a running start as she left the cliffside, gliding down towards the great tree. "Hah! Food, a helping hand, a buddy! I can't wait to show Sage what's really what!"

* * *

Bonk.

The berry rolled down his face, slowing to a stop in the creases of the eclipse cloak, and he picked it up, popping the spicy fruit into his mouth. The heat swarmed his tongue and cheeks as he chewed the flesh, gulping it down as his mouth watered. Opening his jaw, he pointed his head towards the wind that rustled through the branches above, hoping it would do something to soothe the fire the cheri berry had left behind.

Bonk.

"Please cease, Mint," Darkrai said mid-chew, and he raised his hand to snatch a third berry out of the air. Fern quietly kept to himself, nibbling daintily at the meager ration of wild fruit as he sat close to the sheltering tree; Mint, on the other hand, had practically inhaled most of her own food, and had resorted to sneaking berries away from Darkrai's pile to shoot at him. "Now is not the time."

"Hey, I finished first!" Mint chuckled smugly, rolling around as she looked at her friend. "What do you want me to do instead, huh?"

Darkrai put on a smugger expression, reaching over to the tree's roots and dislodging the flowerpot from underneath it. Passing it over to the Shaymin, he dusted his hands off and leaned back against the tree trunk, a few streaks of sunlight cutting through the shade. "You could begin to gather more Gracideas from the field. If we fill the pot today, we can start our return to your village tomorrow."

"Eh? Oh, yeah, you're right!" Mint's initial grumpiness turned to giddiness, and with some effort she hoisted the pot up in her front paws. "Alright, I'll go start, then. But if I'm starting, then you two'd better hurry up!"

She flew off into the field, on the hunt for blooming flowers, and Darkrai took a handful of cheri berries, eating them one by one, their spiciness getting harder and harder to handle. Fern yawned, taking a break from eating as he rested against the dark type's side, his eyes drooping sleepily. "Ooh... s-sorry, D-Darkrai... I'm getting really tired."

"Do not doze now," Darkrai warned gently, slipping his fingers into Fern's fur and scratching. "Mint would not be pleased if you slept through work."

"Y-yeah... sorry, Darkrai," Fern sighed, staring blankly out at the field, twiddling his paws as he tried to stay awake. He gently pushed into the legendary Pokemon's fingers, the tickling helping ward off sleep. "H-hey... Darkrai? Can I ask something?"

"...Go ahead, Fern."

Fern cleared his throat, licking his lips as the aftertaste of the fruit began to set in. "When this is all over... w-when we've brought the Gracideas to the village and tell everyone about you and how you helped us... do you think you could take Mint and I to the Fogbound Lake?"

Darkrai breathed quietly, letting the question hang in the air as he picked the little hedgehog up and sat him in the lap of the eclipse cloak, the stars shifting around as he tugged lightly on Fern's two floppy ears, the wind trying to pull them out of his grasp. Fern stared up into Darkrai's eyes expectantly, patiently waiting for the legendary Pokemon to answer him.

"I would..." Darkrai said, nodding slightly, and Fern watched as his icy-blue eyes filled with confidence. "Yes. I would like that."

"Y-yeah..." Fern sank his nose into Darkrai's chest, and the legendary Pokemon went completely still as the hedgehog nuzzled up to him. "Me too..."

"Hey!" Mint yelled at the top of her lungs, and Darkrai sat up straighter, holding Fern close as the dark type gingerly lay him underneath the tree, ruffling his fur before standing up. "Are you coming to help or not?"

"Please wait for another moment!" Darkrai yelled back, and Mint went back to flower-picking. The legendary Pokemon took a brief look at Fern, who began to eat his portion of berries again, yawning more frequently. "Fern... eat quickly so your strength returns, and then help Mint and I with the Gracideas."

"Don't worry, Darkrai, I'll be okay," Fern reassured him. "...Thank you."

"You are welcome... my friend." Darkrai stood up and began to walk away, his head bowed low as his mind focused on searching for flowers. Fern smiled happily... and winced in pain as he accidentally bit into two cheri berries at once. He scrunched up his face as he gulped the fruits down, stems and all, and he felt his mouth begin to water profusely.

"Blech!" He stuck his tongue out and scratched at it, his breath hot against his fur.


	10. Labyrinth! Three Degrees of Separation!

_The next morning..._

* * *

"Aaugh..." I hissed as my side ached in pain, the fresh bandages wrapped tightly around my chest, and I reached over to brush my paw against the gauze, looking down at my midsection. The cut hadn't reopened, but still ached strongly.

"What's wrong, Bill?" Rose asked, her red eyes filling with concern as she looked up at me. "Is it your side?"

"Yeah..." I nodded weakly, shooting the nine-tailed fox a reassuring smile. "Geez... Erin, how long do you think this'll take to heal again?"

The six of us trekked dutifully through the Labyrinth Cave, our bellies filled with a meager breakfast as we pressed our feet into the sandstone floor. The dusty, arid atmosphere did nothing to help our wounds, with another layer of thin dirt caking into our fur and drying out our throats. Star had taken the lead, holding up a thick bundle of burning sticks that served as a torch, casting a bright orange glow onto the pale rock. Behind her flapped Vale, and then the rest of us followed behind them. As I checked over my wound, Erin hopped off of Cyan's backpack, humming to herself as she skipped over to me.

"Hmm..." She bent over and brusquely yanked my arm out of the way, practically pressing her eyes right up to the wrappings as she inspected her work. "It wasn't a very deep cut, so I don't think it'll take more than a day or two, if you don't accidentally open it up again!"

"That's good..." Rose added, her tails wagging up and down as she looked up at the ceiling in thought. "But I don't know if you should fight Gabite if that's the case."

"We'll see what we can do when we get there, Rose." I reached over to gently fondle her ear, and she smiled at the gesture, letting her face drop into my paw.

"Hey, are you four kiddos alright back there?" Star called to us, walking backwards. Her wild and unkempt hair, just grazing the ground, nearly tripped her up, prompting Vale to flutter down and grasp the ends of it in his talons, his gemstone necklace drooping off of his neck.

"We're okay, Star!" Erin put her paws to her mouth and yelled, both her sleeves tied up into slings.

"Oi, Star, Vale!" Cyan yelled back at them from the rear of the group, the supplies in his hiking pack shifting around as he briskly strode forward. "How close are we t'the deepest part of th'cave?"

"Getting there, Cyan!" Vale answered. We emerged into a small, four-way room, a beam of sunlight cutting through from a hole in the ceiling, riding parallel to a small waterfall that flowed from above. As the sparkling water caught Star's eye, she licked her lips, reaching down into her knapsack and drawing out a pair of silver spikes and the canteen of tea, tossing the latter over to us before returning the former to her sack.

"Polish that off, would you?" She stretched her arms out, peering over at the puddle that the waterfall poured into. Erin leaped over and swiped the leather bottle away, popping the top off and greedily gulping the liquid down. "But let everyone get a sip first, because once it's gone we're gonna be going with water."

The pink mink responded only with a noise as she sloshed the tea around in her mouth, and I grabbed the canteen, helping Rose get a share before downing a little of the tea myself. As we finished, Star walked towards the pool of water, ready to take a break herself, but her eyes widened as her legs caught on something, and she lost her balance, flopping forward. Her makeshift torch flew into the puddle, dousing itself as it sank right under the pounding of the waterfall, and the Zoroark fell forward, on a collision course with the pond herself.

"Woah there, babe!" Vale chuckled heartily, flapping over to his friend and helping her regain her balance by pulling on the dark type's knapsack. "What's with theOOF-"

A shimmering orb smacked right into the bird's beak, sending the both of them tumbling onto the floor in a heap, struggling as they pushed off of each other. The sphere rolled off of the Archeops' colorful plumage and shattered as it hit the ground, exploding into a web of energy that snaked its way through everyone present. I took a step back, standing my ground as the light painlessly slid through my chestspike and out through my back. Everything seemed to start shaking as the sound of rushing wind flooded our ears. Over the din, I could hear Cyan yell angrily. "Arceus, not another one'a these da-"

His curse was cut short as we the spurn orb warped us away, leaving the cavern silent save for the sound of water spattering into the pool.

* * *

**Labyrinth! Three Degrees of Separation!**

* * *

I bit my tongue as my head smacked against a soft patch before falling to the cold ground, groaning from dizziness as I opened my eyes, letting my arms and legs splay out wildly as the whirling wind subsided. The sandstone was coarse against my chest, and I could feel the exploration badge pressing into my shoulder. With some effort, I pushed myself off of the ground and onto my knees, feeling myself teeter around as I tried to catch my breath. "Oorgh..."

I rubbed at my temples to soothe my throbbing brain, my vision adjusting somewhat to the darkened cavern as I stood, briefly patting at my side to make sure that blood wasn't flowing again. Satisfied by the dry wrappings, I tapped my feet against the ground, kicking up a small cloud of dust as I looked around the room. It was dark, cramped, and didn't seem to have a single way out.

"Shoot..." I furrowed my brow, focusing my aura as I formed a shimmering sphere of energy in the palm of my paw. "Am I seriously trapped in here?"

The azure glow illuminated the tiny, isolated cave, the blue light mixing poorly with the tan-hued rock. Seams of iron ore peeked out of the walls, catching the light and bouncing it back at me, and I slowly ambled forward, the dungeon silent save for the pulsing aura. Some of the walls had crumbled, either from age or from landslides, and I moved over and began to dig into the loose rock, scraping my pawspike against the rubble.

"C'mon, this has got to lead somewhere..." I muttered to myself, stabbing the metal spike into the wall and carving downward. Rock beget rock as I gradually cut through the broken sandstone, and something dinged loudly after a few minutes of work. "That was...!"

Quickly bringing my free paw away, I held the aura sphere up to the cavern wall, the light catching on a sheet of iron, revealing a strange circular object welded strongly to the metal. My heart soared and plummeted in the same breath as I peeked out of a small set of holes punctured just above the mechanism. Whether they were eyeholes or airholes, I couldn't decide.

Frustrated, I reared back to smash the aura sphere into the ancient lock, half-wondering if the sealed chamber would open if I hit it hard enough, but stopped myself just before letting loose with a punch. I sighed, sank to my knees, and took a deep breath to calm my frazzled nerves. The rough, grainy air didn't offer much help, but it was enough, and I stuck my muzzle up to the metal, clearing my throat as best I could before calling out.

"Hey!" I yelled, gritting my teeth as the sound echoed around the small room and down through the tunnel outside. "Anyone out there?"

It only occurred to me after I'd yelled that I might have ended up bringing a wild Pokemon over, but given the powerful lock stuck in the wall, I'm not entirely sure that I cared. "Hello! Rose! Anyone! Are you guys out there at all?"

A dull groan came from behind me, and I froze in place, dispelling the aura sphere and sending the chamber back into the comfortable cover of shadows. Slowly rising to my feet, I narrowed my eyes as I watched a figure shuffle around the other side of the cavern, an indistinguishable blotch among other blotches. I slunk over to the center of the room, putting up a fist as I cradled my bandaged side with my other paw.

"Who's there?" I said firmly.

"Bill...?" A female voice called back to me, and I lowered my arms, walking towards the Pokemon. "Was that you that fell on my head, kiddo?"

"Star!" Relief coursed through my veins as I moved over and helped the Zoroark back onto her feet. The fox dusted herself off and whipped her wild hair around, her bright blue eyes staring clearly at me through the gloom. "I didn't realize that was you I'd landed on. Sorry."

"Tch." She flashed me a smile as I lit up another aura sphere, tracing one of her claws along my chin. "If you wanted to use me as a cushion you could at least have taken me out for a drink first."

I rolled my eyes. "You're twice my age."

"I am not!" Star snapped her arm away in mock offense, tapping her foot against the stone floor. "I'm twice little Erin's age."

I snorted, taking a few steps backwards to let the older Pokemon get her bearings. Star looked around the small cavern briefly, taking in the sights as she placed her paws on her hips. "Where'd we end up, anyway?"

"Sealed chamber," I answered bluntly, beckoning her over to the small hunk of rock I'd dug out of the wall. "Locked and left alone. Unless you've got a way out, we're stuck here."

"A lock?" Star raised an eyebrow, gazing intently at the metal slab that sat snugly in the rock. We both squatted down to look at the circular lock, a series of strange symbols and numbers scratched onto its surface. Set in the middle of the mechanism was a clean cut, clearly meant for a key of some sort. As I brought the aura sphere closer to the metal, the dark type lowered her head in thought, the start of a smirk playing on her features. "Oh, Gabite, you clever dragon..."

"You're not telling me you've got a key on you, right?" I said incredulously, and she shook her head, reaching into her knapsack and drawing out the pair of silver spikes. My eyes widened a bit. "Hold up a sec, what are you-"

"Hush up, hotshot, and put a little more light on the subject," Star interrupted, and I nodded, forming a second aura sphere in my other paw, merging the two together as the well-forged metal shined eerily. Carefully bringing the prongs to the lock, she slipped one into the keyhole, then the other just underneath the first. "Good, now... this way..."

I watched as the Zoroark jiggled the spikes around, moving left, then right, and left again. A few brief seconds past, the tension thick enough to flood the room, and she stopped as a clunk rang from the metalworking. With a grunt, she tried to continue moving the upper spike back and forth, only to find it stuck rigid in the middle of the lock. I peeked my head between my paws as Star struggled against the silver spikes. "Anything I can help with?"

"Yeah..." She replied with a nod, not even turning to look at me as she held her tools still. "Spin the lock around, would you?"

Confused, I reached over with my free paw and grabbed the edges of the circle, spinning it to the left. As the symbols and markings moved around, Star pushed again on the spikes, licking her lips in satisfaction as the lockpicks gave way, turning all the way to the right for the final time as the inner workings of the rounded lock clicked. Pulling away, we both watched as the mechanism sank into the sandstone, the loud crunching and clacking echoing all around the tiny cave and the tunnel beyond.

"Well, if nothing knew we were here, they probably know now." I grinned, turning back to the older Pokemon.

"Then I'll take the lead, since you've got that to deal with," Star replied with a sultry smile as she pointed at my bandages, and she closed up her knapsack, twirling her silver spikes around before bringing them close to her chest. "Keep that aura sphere bright and cover me from behind, kid."

"Got it!" I nodded confidently as she briskly jogged into the tunnel, and I quickly followed after her, making our escape from the unsealed chamber.

* * *

"Hello?" Someone young, gruff, yelled out into the inky darkness. "Anybody down there?"

The Samurott's hiking pack clanked loudly as he stomped around the cavern, the travel supplies more attention-grabbing than any kind of armor he could have worn. Drawing a seamitar, Cyan held it forward, ready to ward off an attack at any moment. His caution was dampened somewhat by the fact that he could barely see anything. "Rose, where th'heck are you? I could use a light right 'bout now..."

His grumbling went unanswered as he continued through the dungeon, trudging aimlessly forward, and as the aisle suddenly ended, the boy's helmet and his blade jammed right through a door, the wood so rotted that it tore straight off of its flimsy hinges.

"What th'..." He grunted, raising his head as the horn crushed the thin planks, and with a push he sent the broken door sliding back the way he came, scraping against the rock as it slid to a halt. "Who's in here?"

He poked his head through the doorframe, unable to see anything out of the ordinary inside the next room; just more rock all around and up above with not a hint of company anywhere. A cold breeze nipped at his fur, and he grunted as he began to shiver, his paw trembling against the handle of his weapon. Gritting his teeth, he ducked his head against the imperceptibly-soft wind and raised his seamitar, taking a tentative step forward.

His eyes widened as he finally noticed the lack of a floor ahead of him, and he let out a surprised roar as he lurched forward. "WhaaAAAARGH-"

The chilly air struck him from all sides as gravity took hold, rolling into a front flip as he plummeted towards the floor, his backpack making a loud racket all the while. The Samurott's heart raced as he tried to stay under control, and as he felt his hind leg graze a surface, he forced himself to turn around until his head stared right at the wall, the sound of armor just barely scraping against the sandstone. With a mighty thrust he stabbed the horn on his helmet into the rock, the heavy crunch sending dusty slivers onto his head as the spiky headgear popped off of his head, lodged firmly into the wall.

"You've got t'be kiddin' me!" Cyan berated himself angrily as his ears wiggled around in the free air, and he drew his other seamitar, slamming the pair of blades into the wall and gasping as the handles dug deeply into the fur of his paws. His descent slowed significantly as the seamitars trailed down the rock, leaving a heavy gash through the wall. "C'mon, work, dammit!"

The rushing wind returned to its previously-gentle touch as the bulky water type ground to a halt, and he heaved out a heavy sigh as he peered into the darkness, listening to the ear-splitting screeches above. The ground still seemed to be nowhere in sight, and looking up provided no clues as to how far away he was from his helmet. All he could do was dangle from the ends of his swords. His backpack weighed him down, but he had at least been able to stop.

"Now all I could ask for is for th'stupid commotion to STOP!" The explorer yelled irritably as he kicked his hind legs around, batting at the back of his tail.

A chorus of cries responded as a flock of wild Golbat flew straight at him, sounding just as irritated and twice as mean. Their leathery wings flapped through the cavern as they finally came into view, mere moments from sinking their fangs into the sea lion's exposed arms. Cyan growled at them, letting loose a small blast of water from his mouth, but the attack only clipped one of the Pokemon, leaving him completely open to the rest. "Geez... am I really gonna get m'ass kicked like this?"

As the bats closed in, a few of them retaliated with a throaty, warbling sound, and Cyan felt his head begin to ache, quickly feeling his focus falter. His palms began to slip from his weapons as the supersonic waves sent him further and further into addled confusion. The sound of beating wings seemed to fill his ears as the swarm of poisonous Golbat continued to screech, and a tiny prickle of light flashed in the corner of his eyes.

"Hang on, bucko!" Vale yelled out as he swooped over the youth's head, the Archeops' body surrounded by bright energy as he broke into a series of acrobatic rolls and pivots, slashing at the feral flock with his talons. Cyan could only wearily nod his head as the supersonic waves subsided, his mind clearing as he felt his seamitars slipping from the wall. "Or better yet, let go!"

The Golbat moved their attention away from their original prey, following the glowing bird intently, the light revealing their dark wings and tiny eyes. Vale looked over his wings, turning upward and scaling the wall a bit before kicking off into the air again, tearing loose pieces of sandstone from the surface. The rubble plummeted towards the ascending Golbats, colliding with them before they had a chance to swerve out of the way, and the collective pile of bats and rocks smashed loudly into the floor, amidst groans of pain and other whimpers.

"They landed..." Cyan turned his head and stared at the cold, hard floor, only a few feet away from his paws. He frowned, glared, then sighed before removing his seamitars from the wall and dropping to the ground, sheathing his blades and brushing some of the dust out from between his ears. "Why didn't y'tell me I was so close t'the ground!?"

"I told you to let go, spikes," The flying type Pokemon replied as he hovered low and landed, perching on top of the hiking pack and ruffling his feathers. The light had finally died out, leaving the mystery dungeon shrouded in darkness once again. "You okay? Where's that oversized hat of yours, eh?"

The Samurott stuck out his tongue and put his paws to his cheeks, pulling a face at the older bird. "It's stuck further up in th'wall."

"You should take better care of your stuff, kid," Vale let out a brief chuckle before flapping his wings, running and jumping into the air, using his talons to trace the trail Cyan's seamitars had left behind. "Sit tight, we should keep going together!"

The Archeops soon made his way up and out of Cyan's hearing range, leaving the sea lion alone to wait impatiently. A shifting in the rock caught his attention, and he heard as one of the Golbats flapped awkwardly into the air, spitting bits of sand and stone from its mouth. He reached out and groped aimlessly for it, eventually grabbing one of its legs and flinging it into the wall. It yelped haplessly as its head clonked against the stone and slid to the floor, completely and totally knocked out.

"Just stay down, y'pests!" The warrior clapped his paws free of dust before stroking his mustache.

* * *

Water, cold, wet and heavy, seemed to envelop every inch of Rose's body as she felt the abrupt teleportation dump her into another area of the cavern. Opening her eyes, she found herself completely submerged in a freezing, murky lake, and on instinct the nine-tailed fox paddled towards the surface, her lungs quickly using up what little breath she had been able to hold. Just as she felt herself begin to give out, her nose broke through, taking a deep sniff of the damp, musty air.

"Bwah!" The fox spat out a tiny stream of water, coughing as she came to her senses, looking worriedly around the room. The grand, underground lake was lit up by numerous glowing mushrooms that sprouted from the walls, and a small shore of loose, broken sandstone beckoned to the fire type. She swam over and pulled herself out of the water, wheezing as she flopped onto the ground.

"Bill...? Cyan, Erin?" She spoke quietly, flaring up her inner fire as she launched a flamethrower towards the water, the strain of the heat swiftly drying her off, leaving her fur soft and puffy. She could barely feel her scarf against her neck anymore. "Anyone here?"

Her call fell flat as she was met with a lonely silence, and with a sigh she turned around, circling in place as she peered deeper into the dungeon. The tiny outcropping lead into a steep incline, dotted by smaller growths of the fungi all around, and if she squinted she could see shapes nibbling at the mushrooms, flicking their heads about before scampering out of sight. Taking a step forward, Rose made her way up the passage, guided by the dim light.

The lake quickly became a distant landmark as the fox turned corner after corner, the stone rough against her paws as she padded through the endless halls. A noise caught her ear, sending her nerves on edge, and Rose slowed to a crawl, listening intently. It was another Pokemon eating something, likely one of the mushrooms, and from the sound of things they were being very sloppy.

"Okay..." She mumbled to herself, carefully slinking towards the source of the noise. Briefly stopping to prepare herself, she sidestepped into view and pounced at her prey. "Gotcha!"

The Pokemon yipped in surprise as the fluffy fox trampled it, and Rose grimaced as she felt something gooey splat into her face. Shaking the half-eaten mushroom off of her fur, she felt as her captive slapped its paws against her sides, and she stood firm, glaring as a particularly hard punch hit her wounded leg. The bandages and medicine seemed to do its job, though, as the cut didn't reopen.

"Heeeey! Get off'a me, meanie!" The unhappy Pokemon cried out, and Rose's eyes widened at the sound. "Big fuzzball!"

"Erin, stop! It's me!" The Ninetales shouted over the whining mink, and she stepped off of her friend, letting her sit back up and stop flailing about. Erin stared at her before bursting into cheery laughter, hiding her face in her untied sleeves.

"Rose?" She managed to say between gasps, playfully poking at the fox's puffed-up fur. "Phahahaha! What hahappened to yohohou?"

"Water," Rose replied quietly, scratching at her belly with her hind leg as she tried to press the fur back down. "Where have you been so far? Did you see Bill or the others?"

"No, but I found these yummy mushrooms!" Erin shook her head and took a bite of one of the glowing caps, munching away happily as she held it up for Rose to see. "Want one?"

Rose felt her tails begin to wag as she let out a sigh of relief, shaking her head at the offer. She paced back and forth as the Mienshao slipped the small mushrooms into her belt pouch. "No thanks, Erin, but we should keep moving. I saw other Pokemon picking at those things somewhere else, so we're not alone down here."

"Really?" The girl piped up, hopping onto her feet. "D'ya think I should pick more mushrooms and let them have some?

"I think any wild Pokemon that lives in here can do just fine on their own, Erin," Rose smiled gently, shaking her head. "C'mon, let's go."

Erin hoisted a small bundle of mushrooms into the air as the two began to walk through the passage, their movements made easier with the strange light. Dust fell from the ceiling as low tremors rumbled through the cavern, and Rose felt her tails begin to wave again as the ground grew sharp, jumbled slabs of rock giving way to a set of carved steps. With no small amount of trepidation, the fox and mink hopped their way up the staircase, a frigid gale blowing from the top of the path.

As the explorers reached the top of the hall, they found a grand display before them, a mighty metal gate standing proudly in the sandstone, mushrooms glowing dimly as they dotted the edges of the heavy iron. Lines of water trickled through holes in the walls, seeping into the stone and dripping into the lake below. Erin quickly scampered over to the other end of the room, jumping up and down as she tried in vain to reach the top of the gate, while Rose leisurely trotted through the cave, peering in awe at the massive size of the chasm.

"How... how deep does this place go?" She couldn't help but wonder aloud, and she glanced at her companion out of the corner of her eye. "Erin, do you see anything over there?"

"Yeah, a big ol' gate!" The Mienshao giggled as Rose walked over, looking over the bars that blocked the entrance. "I don't really see how we can get through, though..."

As Rose stared intently at the gate, the image of the Waterfall Cave appeared in her mind's eye. She shook her head, a few locks of her headfur falling in front of her eyes. "I think maybe... should I give it a shot?"

"Ooh, do you have an idea, Rose?" Erin asked, turning her head towards the cream-furred fox. "What'cha thinking about?"

"I think I could heat up these bars and make them brittle enough to break, but..." Rose paused, purring as she stoked the fire in her throat. "I'm not sure how good of an idea it is to burn them while we're in the middle of a cave like this. I think you know what I'm talking about."

"Awww, this cave is bigger than the one we were at a few days ago!" Erin reassured her, rocking back and forth on her heels as she clasped her paws behind her back. "Besides, burning metal doesn't make that much smoke, does it?"

Rose quietly thought to herself as she scraped her paw against the bars, flakes of rusty iron dropping at her touch. She frowned, letting out a sigh. "It's so old that it's falling to pieces even without any heat... burning it would definitely make a lot of smoke."

A scrabbling against the stone caught their attention, and the two Pokemon swiveled on their heels; a pair of wild Pokemon, a Nidorino and a Nidorina, stomped their feet angrily, their eyes locked onto the mushroom that Erin held in her paw. With a growl, they charged.

"Woah!" Erin and Rose both bounced out of the way, the latter speeding into a run as she circled around the cavern, and the Nidos skidded to a stop, turning sharply and stampeding after the girl. "Ooh, I bet they're playing tag! Can't catch me, can't catch me!"

"Erin, be serious!" Rose called to her as she cut in between the three, launching a fireball into the Nidorina's face. The poison type howled in pain as the flames seared her spiny fur, and her mate countered by slashing his horn along the fox's side. The appendage only managed to press into Rose's puffed-up fur, however, and the poison the Nidorino secreted left nothing but a smudge.

Erin simply skipped around, halting in front of the iron gate to make a face as the Nidorina headbutted Rose, sticking her tongue out and spitting childishly, whipping her sleeves at the poison types. "Nyaaah! You're supposed to chase me, not her, you big bullies!"

The light of the glowing mushroom sent the Nidos into a frenzy, and they left Rose alone on the ground, charging once again at Erin. Rose picked herself up and followed, watching as Erin continued to stand in place.

"Erin!" She cried. "Move!"

And move she did, leapfrogging over her pursuers at the last second, and the two Pokemon collided with the iron gate, a loud crunch ringing through the mystery dungeon as the bars flaked.

The Ninetales slowed her pace for a moment, heart pounding as a confident smile found its way onto her face. "Wait... that's it! Great idea, Erin!"

"What idea?" The pink mink cocked her head innocently, running away as the wild Pokemon came to their senses, returning to the fray. Rose rolled her eyes, tearing a toadstool from the floor and waving it around, galloping over to the metal gate.

"Why use flames when we can just break through with brute force?" She couldn't help but mutter to herself, and her ear twitched as something else drifted up from the stairs, rising above the sounds of flowing water and raging battle.

"Star, I can hear something up here!"

"Same, kiddo, I'm not de- Vale?"

"Hey, Cyan, look who it is!"

"Guys!" Rose beamed, dropping the plant and deftly dodging the Nidorino's attack, wincing through her smile as she heard the clang of metal against bone. She took a few, hesitant steps down the stairs, yelling at the top of her lungs. "Up here! We could use some help!"

"Rose, is that you?" I called from the base of the staircase as my partner's voice came from the top of the passage. I broke into a sprint, my feet pounding against the rock. "What's going on up there?"

"Wheeeeeeeee!" I heard Erin yell out cheerfully, and an incredible crash rocked the cavern, the dungeon quaking dangerously as we ran straight into a massive dust cloud. I tripped and tumbled to a stop, coughing as I breathed in the dirt, and Star and Cyan seemed to similarly find themselves taken aback. Vale yelled above the racket, and I felt his wings flapping hard as a gust of wind flowed around the room.

As the sandstone finally settled, I rubbed my eyes, blinking a few times as I stared agape across the room. The bars of the iron gate had bent and snapped, leaving a gap large enough to walk through. Just beyond it, the fainted Nidorino and Nidorina could be seen, exhaling tiredly as the wild Pokemon drifted off into a sleepy unconsciousness. As Rose helped me onto my feet, I grinned at the sight of her puffed-up fur. "You've been busy up here, huh?"

She only responded with an embarrassed smile, barely visible through the fluff, and I chuckled, reaching over to help press it back down.

"Let's take a break and get ourselves situated before we keep going, alright, kiddos?" Star said, shooting the four of us a sly smirk. "Besides, it's been a while. Might as well have some lunch, hm?"

"I, uh..." Cyan started, reaching under his helmet to scratch at his ears. "I am kinda hungry, now that I think 'bout it."

"Ooh, yeah, me too!" Erin seconded the notion, dumping the glowing mushrooms out of her belt pouch. Rose rolled her eyes.

"You can't possibly be hungry after eating all those mushrooms, Erin," She chuckled as the Mienshao tied her sleeve into her sling.

All eyes landed on me, and I gave my partner a look of agreement, sitting down onto the ground and slipping the treasure bag off. Reaching into it, I pulled out a bunch of apples, rolling a few to everyone.

"Eat up, everyone," Rose replied, biting into her own food. "Let's take five!"


	11. Challenge! Moving Upward and Onward!

Rrrrrumble.

"What was that?" I perked my head up, my ears flicking as the low noise rang through the cavern. I raised both my paws, an aura sphere floating in each palm as the pulsing blue light illuminated the stone. The sandstone was shifting right before our eyes, the mystery dungeon slowly growing more gray and less tan as bits of granite marked the passing from one mountain into the next. I furrowed my brow as the others continued to walk past. Did they... not hear that? "Guys?"

"What's up, Bill?" Rose turned her head to look at me, and I maneuvered my way around her nine bushy tails to move up next to her. I bit the inside of my lip as a twinge of pain ran through my side, taking a deep breath of the staid air.

"That sound. You didn't hear it?" I said, spinning my paw in a lame gesture. The ball of energy I held swirled around from the force. "Some rumbling, I think."

"Mmm, no..." The Ninetales strained her face as she listened hard. Nothing else could really be heard now, save for the sound of our paws against the rock. "Hm. Could it be an aftershock from the gate back there?"

I looked over my shoulder into the depths of the tunnel, the great iron gate far behind us, the hole the Nidos had put through it still fresh in my mind. "Maybe you're right... we'd better be careful."

"What are you two lovers chatting about, hm?" Star interrupted us, patting her knapsack as she lead the charge. Rose and I looked over at her, her swaying form mostly hidden by her mop of hair. "We're almost to the center of the dungeon, I'm sure of it. Then we can help you kiddos get up to the path through Mount Travail."

"I never realized that the dungeons were connected like this," Rose said idly. "It would have saved Bill and I a lot of trouble getting there a few years ago!"

"Whaddya do?" Cyan asked, literally poking his head in as his helmet grazed one of my aura tassels. "Climbin' th'mountain trail that goes up n'over th'tunnel isn'too hard."

I grinned, lightly jabbing my elbow into the sea lion's belly. "Nice guess. We went around 'em."

"We didn't find out the Labyrinth Cave was here until much later..." Rose added hastily, looking away in embarrassment. "At least we know about it now, right?"

"Ooh, hey, hey, look!" Erin yelled, leaping onto Cyan's head as she pointed in front of us. I peered into the tunnel to see a growing speck of light. Another faint breeze ruffled through my fur, and I blinked, shivering slightly. "That must be where Gabite is! C'mon, let's go see him!"

The Mienshao hopped off of her steed and began to dash down the cavern, the rest of us quickening our pace as the wind rushed past us. The light grew brighter as the sight of dull green appeared amongst the stone, and Rose and I pushed forward, our hearts pounding.

We emerged into a makeshift abode, lit by a multitude of torches that blazed fervently in the underground room. Up above, a couple tiny holes provided fresh air from outside, while a set of dry grass mats lay flat and undisturbed around the room. With no other entrance or exit in sight, the central chamber seemed to be a dead end, save for the dragon that sat frozen atop one of the mats. Erin scampered over and squatted down at the edge of the grass, staring intently at the blue-scaled Pokemon.

"Erin, don't get so close!" Rose chided as she walked over, and I followed, taking the opportunity to breathe deeply of the fresher air. Erin nodded and took a few baby steps backwards, continuing to look unblinking at Gabite. My partner looked past the dragon, furrowing her brow. "Hmm… this looks like a dead end. We found Gabite, but how are we going to get to Mount Travail?"

"Mister Gabite?" The girl waved a paw in his face, lightly slapping him with her sleeves. Star, Vale and Cyan followed us up as Erin spoke. "Hey, wake up!"

"Yes, yes, I know you're there, grrrgh," The figure spoke as he abruptly rose to his feet, and Erin flinched in surprise, tumbling backwards onto the floor. As Vale and I helped the young explorer up, Gabite sent the six of us a toothy grin. "You're all quite skilled for getting past... most, at least, of my traps! Color me impressed, grrrgh."

"And now we have to battle you for that scale, right?" Star cut in, holding her paws on her hips as she leaned forward. "That's what the rumors said."

"Well, grrrgh…" The dragon type took a few steps backwards, nodding at us to do the same, and he took an offensive stance, sharpening his claws and sending sparks onto the mottled mix of sandstone and granite. "Those rumors are true!"

We barely had time to react before Gabite launched a wave of pulsing energy at us, and we jumped out of the way, widening the spread of our group of six. The fight was on!

* * *

**Challenge! Moving Upward and Onward!**

* * *

"Look out!" Rose cried, and I sprang above her head as she launched a bright green energy ball through the air. Flinging an aura sphere after it, I watched as the two began to orbit each other, the aura turning on a dime as Gabite dodged it. The attack fizzled out as it collided with his back, and Rose gulped dryly, her eyes widening. "Woah..."

Cyan trampled forward, swinging a seamitar that clanged loudly against the armored scales, and he grabbed Gabite's claw as it nearly sliced his mustache off, holding it back as it cut into his paw. "What'n th'heck are y'playin' at!? Y'just shrugged that off like it was nothin'!"

"It's not like you can easily harm me, you know." Gabite made small-talk as he parried each strike from Cyan's sword, pushing his other claw harder into his paw. "I'm a dragon, remember?"

"Then I'll jus' hit y'twice as hard!" The Samurott defiantly roared in response, shoving the dragon backwards and spinning around, slashing into Gabite's chest with his tail. The attack left a small scratch, but our opponent was undaunted, stomping hard into the ground and kicking a cloud of dusty dirt into the warrior's face. Gabite bounded away as Cyan yelped in surprise, choking and sputtering as he inhaled the sand. "Ackhglagh! Gblaugh!"

"Hey, don't do that!" Erin piped up unhappily as she ran towards her friend, one paw stuck into her belt pouch. Gabite's eyes flicked towards the girl, but Vale launched a silver sphere of energy at the dragon, catching him off guard. The distraction gave Erin enough time to wipe Cyan's face with her untied sleeve, and the Samurott sneezed hard, his eyes narrowed to slits as he grumpily nodded his thanks.

"All's fair in battle, grrrgh!" Gabite taunted, hopping backwards and forming an energy sphere of his own in his teeth. Vale quickly did the same, shooting the dragon a toothy smile as he blasted it at him. "And the fairest thing to do is to get rid of the strongest threat first!"

Vale faltered slightly, however, when Gabite slid underneath the attack and spat his own sphere into the dirt. Before the Archeops could react, lines of rock erupted from the earth, one of them striking Vale's wings and sending him plummeting onto one of the grass mats on the floor. The stones formed a conical tomb, securely trapping the bird inside, and Star let out a gasp, the Zoroark's face twisting into an angry frown.

"Oh no you don't!" She roared, dashing towards the dragon, her twin silver spikes flashing in her paws as she twirled around. She stabbed one spike into Gabite's shoulder, the other slashing against his chest, and she pulled away just as quickly, leaping backwards and narrowly avoiding a wide slash of the dragon's claws. "Bill, Rose! Help Vale get out of that thing! I'll keep Gabite busy!"

"Got it!" I nodded confidently, and I looked at Rose, who looked back at me. With a mutual nod, we jogged over to the rock tomb. The clang of Cyan's seamitar against one of Gabite's claws rang through the cave as my partner and I looked over the mass of stone, its tip high above our heads. I formed a metal claw from my pawspike and jammed it into the rock, scraping off a few shards of sandstone and leaving a tiny hole behind.

"Vale!" Rose poked her nose through, raising her voice above the clamor of the battle in the background. "Are you okay? Is your wing hurt?"

"Eh, I thin…" His voice was muffled, though the note of pain was still clearly evident. "…nda aching, but I can st…"

A pained cry drew our attention elsewhere, Rose pulling her muzzle away from the rock as I swiveled on my heels, watching as Gabite hoisted Erin into the air and flung her in our direction. The Mienshao's body crashed hard into me, knocking the air from my lungs as we crumpled to the ground. The younger girl thankfully hopped off of me just as quickly as she'd crashed, and I sat up straight, taking a quick breath to catch my bearings.

"Geez, Erin…" I chuckled, looking past her at Cyan and Star, who were taking turns keeping Gabite away from the rock tomb. "Maybe if you'd eaten a few less mushrooms, that'd have hurt less!"

"Heey, that's mean! Besides, it's not my fault my throwing stones aren't doing anything to him!" Erin stuck her lower lip out in a pout as I picked myself up, wincing a bit as a twinge of pain ran through my side. Rose noticed, stepping over to me as I furrowed my brow from the ache, and Erin's expression quickly flipped from unhappy to thoughtful. "Ooh, wait! I think I still have some orbs from Serenity River!"

"What!?" Rose exclaimed, and Erin nodded with a smile, rocking back and forth on her heels. "Quick, quick, get them out! Bill, try and carve off a little more of this rock, before Vale gets hurt any worse!"

I dug my metal claws into the rock tomb as the Mienshao slipped off her belt pouch, and Cyan launched forward with his blades pointed outward, water surrounding him as he jetted towards Gabite. The dragon twirled out of the way, but Cyan instinctively turned at an angle, the armor on his arm just clipping the notched fin on Gabite's back. The momentum was enough to send Gabite forward a few steps off-balance, and as the sea lion spun around and out of his attack, Star followed up with a hop, skip and a jump, stomping hard onto Gabite's head and stabbing her silver spikes into the horns on each side of his head.

Her victory was short-lived, however, as Gabite quickly bent at his hips, smashing the Zoroark into the stone floor with an audible THWACK. The black fox crumpled to the floor and groaned in pain, holding her head in her paws as the dragon type returned his focus to Cyan, the silver spikes still stuck in his horns as he deflected a slash.

"You six are pretty good for grrrgh…" Gabite spoke idly between heavy breaths, both his claws digging into Cyan's two seamitars in a double bladelock. Cyan took the opportunity to lower his head, slamming the horn on his helmet on top of the dragon's noggin and sweeping left and right, knocking the silver spikes away. Leaning into a rough shove, the Samurott sent the dragon backwards; Gabite wobbled a bit before shifting his weight, his eyes narrowed in amusement. "It's been a while since I've had a battle this fun. And that's high praise coming from me!"

"Then why don't y'jus' give up an'give us the scale!" Cyan taunted cockily, and he growled, letting loose a powerful stream of water from his mouth, forcing the dragon back even further. Star scrambled to her feet, still somewhat dizzy, and retrieved her weapons from the floor.

"Found one!" Erin cried out in exuberant triumph, catching everyone's attention, and she held the wonder orb up above her head, and I could see a trio of wavy lines through the foggy inside of the ball. "Alrighty, take this!"

The Mienshao slipped the orb into her sling sleeve, spun once, and flung it at the preoccupied Gabite. As it smashed into his arm, a fierce gale rushed through the cavern, Rose's tails whipping hard against my back from the force of the wind, and Gabite was flung across the room, digging his feet into the stone to slow himself down. The opportunity showed itself, and I took it, forming two spheres of aura in my paws and slamming them into the small hole in the rock tomb, the powerful attack shattering one of the stone spikes to pieces and freeing the trapped bird inside.

"Aha, now that's more like it, kiddo!" Vale swooped out of his prison, doing a few loops in the air before setting down close to Rose and I. "Hoo… thanks for getting me out. Still feels cramped, uuugh…"

The bird shuddered softly, and Rose hopped up and quickly embraced the older bird, his necklace of gems clinging as the fox comforted him. "It's alright, you're out of there now, right? C'mon, we need your help!"

"Bah, no problem, Rosie!" The Archeops shook my partner off, hopping up and down impatiently as he flapped his wings. "I'll show this guy who's the real deal here!"

The bird soared towards the ceiling of the cavern and hovered for a moment before streaking downwards, his necklace glowing with a bright light as his entire body began to glow. Before Gabite could react, Vale blasted towards him in a sudden jolt of speed, leaving a line of afterimages as he spun headlong into the dragon once, twice, thrice. Despite his best efforts to guard himself, the powerful Archeops' talons made their mark with each strike, clawing and tearing at Gabite's hard scales with incredible force. In the midst of the attack, I motioned towards Rose. "Ready to roast this guy?"

The Ninetales nodded in understanding, letting out a low growl as a raging fire crackled in her throat, and I yelled out at the top of my lungs, looking one way and then the other. "Vale, let off! Cyan, get him now!"

The older Pokemon took a quick glance at us and blinked, slowing out of his acrobatic display and leaving our opponent wide open. Cyan nodded stoutly and lumbered forward, slashing the dragon twice with his swords before grabbing him and flinging him over to us. With a cheeky grin, I reached out and grabbed the dazed dragon by his claws, rolling onto my back and planting my feet firmly into his chest, kicking Gabite high into the air. I turned my head to look at my partner, embers leaking from her clenched jaws as she arched her back and looked at our foe, launching a fireball at him.

Gabite had other ideas, however, as he roared loud enough to shake the cavern, the noise echoing around the room as he sent his own gout of flames at the fireball, the purple dragonfire colliding with Rose's own blaze mid-flight, the two attacks exploding in a mass of light and heat. I heard a couple yelps of surprise as I ducked low, bringing my arm in front of my face to keep from being blinded, and I heard a harsh crack from the ceiling, along with a strong rumble.

The flash subsided as quickly as it had come, and I looked around the room. Star and Vale were slowly picking themselves up from the ground, the former wincing as she rubbed at her head, and Erin was looking over Cyan's paws, deep gashes cut into them from Gabite's claws. I furrowed my brow. "Where's…?"

My question was answered by a heavy scale that just missed hitting my shoulder, and I looked up sharply, skittering out of the way as Gabite fell where I had stood moments before, a dragon-shaped indent left in the ceiling. He groaned in pain, struggling to get up, his claws scraping noisily as he wearily pushed himself onto his knees.

"You… you aren't a typical… exploration team, are you, grrrgh?" He rubbed a claw against his nose, and Rose trotted over to him, poking her head under his arm as she helped him up. "Most just pass through, tired from traps… and ask for shelter. Who… are you, grrrgh?"

A few seconds passed before I pulled our exploration badge from the strap of the treasure bag, clasping it firmly in my paw as I held it outward. Gabite's eyes seemed to widen slightly before returning to normal, and as the light caught the black metal, a cheeky smirk made its way onto my face. "The name Team Returners ring any bells in that head of yours? Should I get Erin over here to give you a quick check up?"

"Bill, Bill, did you call me?" I rolled my eyes as the Mienshao ran over to me, helping Rose hoist the tired dragon type onto his feet, and Cyan, Star and Vale followed soon after, all seven of us watching as the powerful Pokemon inhaled and exhaled, his claws on his knees and a large chunk missing from the tip of his dorsal fin.

"You sure you want any more punishment?" Star knelt down to the floor and picked up the large blue scale, lining it up with the dragon; it was a perfect match, and she let out a low whistle. "We'd be glad to take this with us and call it a day, unless you want to keep going all night…"

"I think that… you really are the Returners…" Gabite managed to get out between breaths, and Rose moved to my side, briefly nuzzling my neck before returning her gaze to the dragon. He scanned across each of us, beaming proudly. "Then you are worthy opponents… and I would be honored to lead… you to a safe area to rest for the night, grrrgh."

"Oh, so you really are that kind of Pokemon…" Star wore a sultry smile as she spoke, while Cyan let out a grumpy grunt, rolling his eyes as he looked over his seamitars.

"Dinged up again…" The Samurott grumbled, sheathing the weapons as Gabite walked over to the wall and traced a line along it, and the rock slowly shifted and fell away, revealing a hidden passage, faintly illuminated by more glowing mushrooms. Erin let out a coo of excitement as she grinned, beginning to rock back and forth on her heels.

"You," Gabite jabbed a claw at Rose, who took a timid step backwards at the gesture. "You said something about… Mount Travail. This tunnel should lead… straight to a Kangaskhan Stone in a cave… at the edge of the trail down the mountain."

"That's helpful," I muttered under my breath to my partner, and the fox smiled gratefully, bowing her head.

"Thank you, Gabite," She said, and she turned towards me. "Should we get going?"

"Might as well," I replied with a shrug, turning towards Erin, who was preoccupied with giving Cyan a quick check-up. I glanced at Star and Vale. "You two got your scale. Now it's your turn to help us out, right?"

"Yeah, I hear you just fine…" The Zoroark tapped her foot against the floor, still breathing hard from the battle. "Lead on, hotshot. You're the ones who need to get across it!"

"Then it's settled." I pounded my fist into an open palm. "Let's go!"

* * *

Small shrubs and bushes began to pop up among the glowing mushrooms, the sunlight pouring in from outside providing enough nutrition to keep the plants growing, and Erin picked a few sprouts that interested her, carelessly shoving them into her belt pouch. As we made our way towards the light at the end of the tunnel (both literal and metaphorical), another rumble rocked the cave, and Rose turned her head to look at me.

"Well, I guess I don't have to ask if you heard that one, huh?" I joked, pushing past a clump of roots that snaked their way through cracks in the ceiling. I grinned sheepishly as I heard the roots swing backwards and smack into Erin, sending her tumbling off of Cyan. "Eheh, sorry, Erin."

"Oh, that's okay, Bill-" The Mienshao chattered as her friend helped her up, and a third rumble sounded, a loud crash coming from outside, sending us on edge. "Woah, what was that?"

"It sounded like…" Star scrunched up her face, frowning. "Like thunder!"

Our feet pounded against the rock as we dashed outside, emerging on a small trail leading towards Mount Travail. Walls of jagged rocks jutted upwards towards the grey sky, covered by clouds that began to send a load of sprinkling rain down onto the path. The weeds and patches of thick grass seemed to wriggle around with a mind of their own, delighted by the water, and I felt the cold wind blow against my fur. As the edges of the thunderstorm rained down on us, Rose stood her ground, her tails flapping in the wind. Erin hopped from puddle to puddle, splashing Cyan, while Star took cover under Vale's wing.

"Where did this… come from?" I wheezed, feeling my bandages begin to get soaked through, and I instinctively brought both my paws over to cover the wound. "It wasn't even raining in the forest."

"It must be coming in from the east, or southeast or something," Rose replied, moving a short ways away before shaking herself from head to toe, droplets flying everywhere. She looked at me with her big red eyes as she finished drying herself (or at least trying to, anyway). "We need to find the Kangaskhan Stone as soon as we can, we can't waste any more time."

"Hey, Vale!" I looked over my shoulder at the bird, who tried and failed to keep his friend's massive mop of hair from getting soaked. He grinned sheepishly at Star before hovering over to me. "Could you fly off and check how far off we are from the Kangaskhan Stone?"

"No problem, kiddo," He nodded energetically, flapping twice strongly before swooping away. "I'll be back before you know it!"

"Ooh, ooh, we'll go too!" Erin yelled happily, stomping into a particularly deep puddle as she yanked on Cyan's arm, tugging him along as she chased after the older Pokemon. As the trio passed through the falling rain, Star walked up to Rose and I, frowning a bit as she wiped her paw on her knapsack, pointing past a low patch of the rocks at the clouds. "This storm's bad, and judging from the darker patches over thataway, it'll be worse real quick. What's got you all in a hurry?"

"We got the letter about the job at Sky Peak…" The Ninetales thought for a moment before gasping quietly. "I think it's a week tomorrow, Bill! We really have to hustle before we lose this chance!"

"A week!?" I exclaimed, my fur bristling as my mind began to race. Treasure Town, the Quagsire and Tiny Town… the forest and today… "Geez, you're right - we really are slow-going, aren't we?"

"We've got to get to Sky Peak as soon as we can…" My partner began to pace back and forth, seemingly ignorant of the strands of wet headfur that dangled in front of her eyes. "We already got delayed from what happened at the river, if we get any more sidetracked, he might leave, or something worse might happen!"

"Rose, are you sure we should rush ourselves like that?" I replied, trying to reassure the panicking fox. "I'm still wounded, we just had a big battle with a dragon, there's a storm coming in-"

"Hey, lovers!" Star interrupted, the nickname snapping us out of our trance, and we looked at the black-furred fox, who was eyeing us suspiciously. "What's going on? I know that Vale and I sort-of hid what we were doing around here, but I didn't think that you were, too."

"It's…" I paused, trying to find the best way to put it.

"It's a long story." Rose finished for me. "The job we've got at Sky Peak is… urgent-"

"Rose, Cyan and Erin got on our case for not telling them," I gently reminded, and she blinked, nodding in agreement after a moment of silence. "But it is a long story, I'll give it that."

Star flicked her eyes upward, letting out a skeptical sigh as she gestured towards the storm above us. "If we're going to be stuck in a cave for the rest of the night, I think you two have plenty of time to talk about it. Or do more, if you feel like it…"

The Zoroark fluttered her eyelashes suggestively, and Rose looked away in embarrassment, shyly pawing at the blush forming under her fur. I grinned cheekily, feeling a faint heat on my cheeks as well. Thankfully, Vale arrived before Star could tease us any more, sputtering a bit as the rain bounced off of his feathers.

"Heya, we found the campsite!" He scratched his talons against the stones, flapping his wings despite being grounded. "Cyan and Erin just stayed there so they could get all the stuff set up. C'mon, follow me!"

Star looked at us, and we looked at Star. Rose exhaled heavily, shaking her head to try and get her unkepmt headfur out of her face, and I reached over to affectionately tousle it, wrapping the strands of fur behind her ears. The rain continued to fall, and a blast of cold, strong wind hit us, making my fur bristle as I began to shiver, my paw trembling atop my partner's head.

"Y-yeah, getting out of the rain's p-probably the best idea," I said through chattering teeth, and Star let out a snort.

* * *

"Ohohoho! A little white lie comes back to bite you," Star laughed heartily, bringing her paw in front of her mouth as she raised her head, looking at us from across the small campfire. Her mirth was briefly interrupted by a grunt of pain, and she rubbed at the sore spot where Gabite had smashed her head. "Oof… so this really is urgent! You two seem to be magnets for this sort of thing, aren't you?"

A meager meal sat digesting in our stomachs, Cyan already lulled to rest from the food, and Erin lay on top of the sea lion's belly, the pink mink yawning broadly as she tried not to doze off, squinting as she occasionally rubbed the sleep from her eyes. The storm pounded down on the well-worn statue outside, but the flames, and Rose's inner warmth, kept the cozy cavern as toasty as could be.

"Are you saying that being misadventure magnets is a good thing?" I quipped, leaning back against the wall. "Granted, you've got a decade more experience than Rose and I do, but still."

"I didn't say it was good, I just think it's interesting, hotshot." The Zoroark mimicked me, leaning down onto her cushion of hair.

"Why'd you lie about what happened to Darkrai, though, kiddos?" Vale asked, his body splayed lazily out in his friend's lap, and Star grinned as she stroked her paw along the bird's throat. "I know he tried to take over the world and you stopped him, but it seems like him losing his memory would be something worth mentioning, if you don't mind me saying so."

"That's… just it, Vale," Rose answered quietly, sighing as she looked at the older Pokemon. "Darkrai has amnesia, and that means he's... he's like a child, I guess."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"He's impressionable, is what I'm saying," My partner struggled to find the right words. "Since he's lost his memory, whoever he spends time around will probably end up shaping who he ends up being. What if a bandit finds him, and he starts committing crimes?"

"Sweetheart, I think you're over-thinking things-" Star started to say, but I cut her off with a wave of my paw, the firelight bouncing off of my pawspike.

"Star, Darkrai's a legendary Pokemon. Even I don't think we can take any chances," I explained, glancing at my stomach before looking over at Cyan. "Though with my hurt side, Cyan's cut paws, your head, and a storm outside, we've got our work cut out for us getting down Mount Travail."

"But this is the first you've heard of him since you fought him years ago, right?" Star shot back, pointing a claw directly at me. "If it's been that long, then he's probably hasn't gone sour, right? If he'd become an outlaw, you'd probably have heard something about him doing something sooner than now."

"That's…" Rose's response was lost as she mulled over the logic, and I furrowed my brow in thought, the silence broken only by three things: the storm, the campfire, and Cyan and Erin starting to snore. "You're right…"

"How the heck did we not think of that?" I frowned, berating myself. "Geez, that's… so obvious. I can't believe I missed that."

"Hey, don't beat yourself up, Bill," Star reassured me, and I peered over at the older Pokemon as she sent me a genuine smile, the stars on her mouth fully visible. "It can be easy to miss stuff like that. Trust me, Vale and I know from experience."

"Just keep it in mind from now on, kiddos," Vale said, nodding in agreement. "Besides, if you two are in such a hurry, then the fact that he's probably not a bad guy is at least a little comfort, right?"

"Right…" Rose said, her muzzle slowly turning from a frown to a smile, to a huge beam. "Right! If he's not such a bad Pokemon, and we get to him as soon as we can, then all we need to do is make sure he's in good company…"

"And make sure the good company knows that Darkrai isn't evil anymore," I said. "And that means setting the record straight with the Shaymin Village straight, if not the rest of Tiny Town and Treasure Town later on."

My partner yawned as the rain continued to pour outside, and she put her paws on top of her nose in mild embarrassment. "Oh, excuse me… I'm getting tired, it must be pretty late."

"We've all had a pretty rough day, both with the Labyrinth Cave and with battling Gabite, huh," Vale chuckled to himself as he fidgeted around, letting his head rest in the crook of Star's crossed legs, and he too let out a hefty yawn. Star yawned as well not soon after her friend. "Haha, now you've got us yawning, Rosie!"

"I'm still not all that tired, so you two lovers go cuddle and snooze while I take watch, huh?" The Zoroark teased slyly, looking outside into the fog of the storm and wincing a bit as she rubbed between her ears. "Mmf. Tomorrow we're headed down the mountain, huh?"

"Don't forget to take a rest too, okay?" Rose said, cocking her head in concern. "Everyone needs to be at their best if we want to push through the rain."

"We'll be fine as long as we stick together," Star reassured the nine-tailed fox, shaking her head at her. "Just sleep, okay, hon?"

* * *

**A/N: Finally another chapter, eh? I had personal business to take care of the last month or so, but hopefully I should be back to updating this more regularly now.**


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